BJP national president Amit Shah on Wednesday sharply targeted Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for allegedly running a corrupt Government, which, he said, must be thrown out if Odisha is to be built as a developed State.
“Naveen Patnaik is a burnt transformer while Narendra Modi is an powerhouse,” he remarked while addressing an intellectuals’ gathering here.
Shah, who arrived here on a three-day visit to the State, demanded that Patnaik give account of the Central funds provided to Odisha. The 14th Finance Commission has allocated a whopping Rs 2.11 lakh crore to the State which is two and a half times more than the 13th commission’s allotment. Patnaik is running a thoroughly corrupt Government, he alleged.
The BJP chief, referring to his claim that the BJP would capture 120 of the State Assembly seats, said Naveen Patnaik “does know arithmetic”, for which he doubts his prediction. “{Patnaik would come to know about the poll results in the morning of the day of counting votes,” he stated.
He also taunted Patnaik for not having leant the State’s language Odia during his 18 years of rule.
Shah’s visit to Odisha is part of his 110-day nationwide tour to strengthen the BJP organisation ahead of the next general elections. He is accompanied by Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar and BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra.
After his arrival by a special flight in the afternoon, he was given a rousing reception by State party workers and leaders at the airport here and taken in a huge motorcycle rally to the State party headquarters, where he addressed the leaders of the core committee on how to strengthen the party at the grassroots.
On the last day of his visit on Friday, Shah would address party workers at a mega conclave at the Janata Maidan here.