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Departing from the expectation of the party cadres to highlight the corruption issues of the Naveen Patnaik government in the state, BJP president Amit Shah today directed his tirade against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi at a massive rally organised by the state party unit here.
“Rahulji has raised questions about the achievement of the Modi government in last six months. But he should not forget that the BJP government at the Centre under the leadership of Narendra bhai has ended the misrule of Congress and Gandhi family for last 60 years,” he told the gathering at the Mahasangram rally in the city.
“In the last six months, the government has brought down the petrol and diesel rate ten times which did not happen in last ten years, reduced the food inflation to almost zero level from seven plus percent earlier resulting in a saving of Rs 1,500 per month for an average family and strived to create large number of jobs through the Make in India campaign,” he added.
Shah conspicuously avoided launching any diatribe against the Biju Janata Dal government in Odisha though over the past few days, state party unit leaders had told the media persons that the main plank of his speech at the rally would focus on recently exposed chit fund, mining and land allotment scams in the state. Given the declared intention of the party to expand its base in the eastern states and Shah’s aggressive posture at a recent rally in Kolkata criticising the Mamata Banerjee government there, the party cadres here expected him to make a scathing attack on the Naveen Patnaik government particularly in the backdrop of some of the BJD leaders being arrested by the CBI for their complicity in the chit fund scam cases.
However, Shah’s speech contained less criticism about Naveen Patnaik government and more about strengthening the party by increasing its cadre base here.
He exhorted the party workers to strengthen the party in Odisha from grassroot level to fight the inefficient BJD regime in the state.
“The BJP is fighting with poverty, unemployment and ineffective governance here. Odisha must embrace BJP for better governance and development,” he said.
“We assure you, if we come to power there will be no chit fund like issue in the state. But to achieve that the membership drive must continue in Odisha,” he added.
Commenting on today’s rally, a political analyst said, Odisha unit of BJP may be trying to flex its muscle by attacking the BJD leadership on key issues to become the principal opposition voice. However, the central leadership more keen to focus on expanding its base in the state through membership drive. The party lost ground in the state after its break up with BJD before 2009 polls, falling to just six MLAs from 34 in earlier term. Though it has managed to win 10 seats out of 147 seats in state assembly last year, it has long way to go to strengthen its base at booth levels.
