Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday lighted into the Naveen Patnaik government stating that it was operating in “partnership” with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Addressing a public rally during the second day of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra at Rourkela, Mr. Gandhi said Mr. Patnaik has always supported the saffron party and it is the Congress which is fighting a lone battle against the “Biju Janata Dal [BJD] and BJP partnership” in Odisha.
As part of its strategy, the State Congress unit has tried to position itself as the principal Opposition in Odisha while projecting the BJP as an undeclared partner of the ruling BJD.
To drive its point, it had recently organised a mock wedding between the BJD and BJP. Since 2017, the Congress has slipped to a distant third in local body, Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Mr. Gandhi also raised the issue of labour migration indicating that it reflected failure of governance in the State. “While 30 lakh people have migrated to other States in search of jobs, the State’s resources are being allowed to be plundered by 30 crorepati industrialists from outside Odisha,” said the Congress leader.
On the issue of unemployment, Mr. Gandhi said the country was facing its worst-ever unemployment crisis in the last 40 years and Odisha was a leading State with high unemployment.
He alleged that tribals, Dalit and backward people in the State were subjected to oppression and torture.
During a press meet, senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh also targeted the “unholy” nexus between BJD and BJP.
Mr. Gandhi is expected to complete his Odisha leg of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on February 8 when he would enter Chhattisgarh through Jharsuguda district of Odisha.
