Cut-out contest

Cut-outs of Modi and Amit Shah competed for space with those of CM Naveen Patnaik

For the duration of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national executive in Bhubaneswar from April 14 to 16, the capital city of Odisha witnessed a cut-out war. Larger-than-life cut-outs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah competed for space with those of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his father Biju Patnaik. One of the second-rung leaders of the BJP thought it was his moment in the sun as well and asked his supporters to erect his cut-outs. However, a message soon went out to tear these down. The party conveyed to the leader that his cut-outs, if at all, can be put up along with those of three other second-rung state unit leaders. The hoardings, meanwhile, had Modi, Shah and four state leaders, including Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Jual Oram.