BJP will sweep polls in Odisha in 2019 under PM Modi, claims party chief Amit Shah

Amit Shah asked party workers to reach out to booth-level supporters and highlight the welfare work of the Centre and raise the issue of the alleged failure of the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah on Sunday said that his party is all set to sweep the Odisha polls in 2019 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shah, who has set a target to win 120-plus seats in the 147-member house, held closed-door meetings with the state leaders to fine-tune election strategies.

On his arrival at Biju Patnaik International Airport here, Shah was accorded a warm welcome by senior leaders, including Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Jual Oram, and the party’s state unit chief Basant Panda.

“Addressed a meeting with Shakti Kendra incharges and co-incharge in Bhubaneswar. With such energy and enthusiasm among Odisha BJP karyakartas, the BJP is all set to sweep Odisha in 2019, under the leadership of the Prime Minister,” tweeted Shah. His visit to Odisha follows his tour of West Bengal and Manipur.

During his address to poll booth workers, Shah targeted the Odisha government over the missing keys of the Jagannath temple’s Ratna Bhandar, saying that if it cannot safeguard the hopes of Hindus, how could it protect the state’s interests.

Shah also asked party workers to reach out to booth-level supporters within 15 days and highlight the welfare work of the union government and raise the issue of the alleged failure of the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government, said a BJP leader. He also held meetings with two leaders from each of the panchayats in the 21 assembly segments in Bhubaneswar, Puri and Cuttack Lok Sabha constituencies.

Shah also held closed door meetings with the party ‘prabharis’ of parliamentary and assembly constituencies and social media team separately.

“Shah’s guidance will surely inject new enthusiasm and energy among BJP workers and will strengthen the party at the booth level,” said Pradhan.

The party has focused on Odisha, which will witness both general and assembly elections in 2019. The party hopes it has a chance to come to power in the state by riding on Modi’s popularity and prevailing anti-incumbency against the BJD, which has been in power for 18 years.

A senior BJP leader said Shah is trying to galvanise the party’s organisational structure of the party ahead of the 2019 elections.

“That the BJP has identified Odisha as a “focus” state is clear from the fact that PM Modi chose Cuttack to address his government’s anniversary rally on May 26,” he said, adding that the party “appears” to be better placed this time to win more seats in Odisha in both the Assembly and the Lok Sabha elections.