Criticising the BJP’s manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, senior BJD leader and former Odisha Minister Padmanabha Behera said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s guarantees are more impactful in the State than that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi released the BJP's Lok Sabha poll manifesto, outlining his vision for ‘Viksit Bharat’ as he exhorted people to give another mandate to his party to shape India’s 'destiny' for the next 1,000 years.
Also read | BJP, BJD to go solo in Odisha as talks fail
Describing the party’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ as a document of his guarantee, Mr. Modi highlighted the achievements of 10 years of his government at the Centre and said the BJP has delivered on every promise it made so far.
“Here, only Naveen’s guarantees will work and no other guarantees will work in Odisha. The BJD will win more seats than the last assembly elections,” Mr. Behera told media persons on Sunday.
The Lok Sabha and Assembly polls are held simultaneously in Odisha.
Of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the BJD won 12, the BJP got eight and the Congress secured one in the 2019 elections.
The BJD won 113 Assembly seats, the BJP bagged 23, the Congress got nine, and the CPI (M) and Independent secured one each in the last state polls.
The BJD government has never tolerated corruption and took strong measures against wrongdoers, Mr. Behera said, adding that even State vigilance is taking action against corrupt people every day.
People support the BJD and the chief minister for his welfare schemes, he said.
“Discussion is now going on. The BJD will come up with its election manifesto in which the CM will put forth his promises,” the BJD leader said.
Similarly, senior Congress leader and party's manifesto committee chairman Panchanan Kanungo said people are "not ready to listen to Modi's guarantees as the Prime Minister has failed to fulfil the promises he has made before the public".
“Ten years ago, the people were ready to listen to him (PM) and his promises. But, now, they will not believe him. He cannot make people fool this time,” Mr. Kanungo said.
BJP State president Manmohan Samal termed the party's poll manifesto as a roadmap to make India a developed nation by 2047.
