BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday said the people of Odisha have rejected the BJP and the Congress for their “hollow words” and reposed faith in the BJD, which is “sincerely working to wipe out poverty and accelerate development”.
He was addressing a BJD election rally at Phiringia for the October 15 by-election to the Kandhamal lok Sabha seat.
“The people have realised that these national parties would never work for welfare of the poor and for development of the State. They have reposed their faith in BJD as they know that the regional party alone is capable of working for development of Odisha,” Patnaik claimed.
Promising concrete steps for speedy development of backward and tribals-dominated Kandhamal, he said stress is being given on promoting horticulture in the region.
On the other hand, Congress leaders including former Union Ministers Srikant Jena and Bhakta Das, MP Rajib Biswal, party in-charge of the State B Hari Prasad, PCC vice-president Sarat Raut, former Assembly Speaker Kishore Patel, MlAs Prafulla Majhi and Chandra Sekhar Majhi and Bijayalaxmi Sahoo attacked the BJD for corruption among its leaders.
They were speaking at an election meeting at the Sports Ground at Phulbani.