Shah blames Patnaik govt for Odisha's backwardness

BJP chief Amit Shah today blamed the Naveen Patnaik government for Odisha's "backwardness" and claimed his party will secure two-thirds majority in the state as he concluded his three-day tour to strengthen the party here.
He also held a road show from Kalpana square to Basantpur and said the Modi government had provided nearly Rs 4 lakh crore to the state in the last three years but it continues to lag behind in development due to the state government's poor execution of schemes.
"Due to the state government's failure Odisha is still far behind in development. There will be no development of the state until the BJP comes to power here.

"The BJP is committed to making Odisha the best state in the country. The BJP will secure two-thirds majority in the 2019 assembly election and replace the BJD government in Odisha," he said.
In Basantpur, Shah did a door-to-door campaign as part of his efforts to strengthen the party at the booth level and visited homes of people from different strata of society, a party statement said.
He said he was in the state like a 'vistarak' (one who expands the party) like four lakh workers who are involved in strengthening the party in the birth centenary year of its ideologue Deendayal Upadhayaya.

He was accompanied by Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, state party chief Basant Banda and party general secretary Arun Singh, who is also the BJP's state in-charge.
Odisha is the 14th state the BJP chief has toured as part of a 115-day programme across the country to strengthen the organisation.
Shah will visit his home state Gujarat during July 10-12.