Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday exuded confidence that the BJP will emerge a major player in Odisha politics in the ensuing parliamentary and assembly polls and that the Naveen Patnaik-ruled eastern state may turn out to be the ‘second Tripura’.
“Odisha will surprise the country this time; it may become second Tripura,” Prime Minister said addressing a ‘townhall’ programme ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ campaign via video-conferencing in New Delhi.
The remarks from the Prime Minister have political significance as BJP’s prospects to return to power is seemingly dependent a lot on party’s performance in Odisha.
As it is – five years back, the BJP had come number two in nine seats – Balasore, Bargarh, Bhubaneswar, Bolangir, Dhenkanal, Kalahandi, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Sambhalpur.
The saffron party’s prospects for wresting seats have brightened in Kendrapara after sitting member Baijayant Panda of BJD defected to the saffron camp.
In Dhenkanal too, sitting BJD MP Tathagata Sathpathy has expressed desire not to contest and thus could help BJP’s Rudra Narayan Pani win the seat. Mr Pani had finished second in 2014.
BJP is also eyeing Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat where the party is all set to field a former bureaucrat Aparajita Sarangi.
In 2018 state assembly elections, the BJP and its ally sprang a surprise and won 43 seats in the 60-seat house in a historical victory that unseated the Marxists after 25 years of uninterrupted rule.
In Odisha also, BJD is in power since 1999. (UNI)
