Samikhsya Bureau
‘Destination Odisha’ the buzz for tourism promotion can now well be pasted on the walls of Odisha that fast emerges to be a ‘political destination ‘ for the political parties and specifically for the Bharatiya Janata Party with its top echelons like the Prime Minister himself frequenting the state with unfailing regularity.
The dust after his last visit, on April 2 and April 6, has not settled yet, and now Modi goes to make a mega showdown of his passion to conquer Odisha. It goes without saying that, Odisha has grown to be the eye of the storm generated by the saffron brigade.
The hasty schedules of the PM and his cohorts stand quite in contrast to the prediction by the Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who had told in an interview with a national channel that, Narendra Modi ‘ does not deserve a second term’. Such show of confidence shown by Patnaik is not only a first time jibe at the PM but, is construed by a certain circle that Patnaik, who normally does not indulge in such brick-batting, must have some basis behind his claim.
It is all tailor made to match the huge response that Naveen Patnaik got through his roadshow series continuing still. The only difference is one (Naveen) is soft and bold by his counters and the innuendos fired by Modi are hard and piercing.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead a massive road show in the state capital during his visit to Odisha on April 16 next for electioneering in support of party candidates.
Modi will address the election meeting at Sambalpur in Western Odisha on April 16 and return to Bhubaneswar to participate the road show at about 16-00 hours.
The road show, will originate from the Biju Patnaik International airport and pass through main thoroughfares and finally culminate at Baramunda ground, the venue of the Vijaya sanlap Samavesh.
Modi will address the election rally which will be attended by party workers and leaders of Bhubaneswar, Puri, Cuttack, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur Parliamentary constituencies, considered to be the hot bed of political activities in the coastal districts of the state.
The political weather in Odisha clearly appears to be a turbulent one. And in its midst, both the mega rivals, Naveen and Modi have slowly started to take on each other with never before bellicosity shown by either of the two. And, interestingly, both have now taken to the offensive recourse as the best defense.
Modi had already visited the state thrice on March 29, April 2 and April 6 last and addressed election meetings at Jeypore, Bhawanipatna,Sundargarh and Sonepur in the southern and western parts of the state.
Political observers said the BJP is likely to show its strength in the road show of the Prime Minister to penetrate into the coastal belt of the state, which has been the citadel of the ruling Biju Janata Dal.
Several heavyweights such as former BJD MP Baijayant Panda, Bureaucrat turned politician and former IAS officer Aparajita Sharangi, former odisha DGP and also former CRPF DG Prakash Mishra, BJP national spokesman Dr.Sambit Patra have entered into the electoral battle and contesting the lok sabha elections as BJP candidate in Coastal Odisha.
All said and done, the haste and the frequency do manifest that all that, what the BJP is doing, is not for nothing. On the target is the BJD and both the top BJP leaders Modi and Amit Shah seem to have taken it as a challenge for themselves to achieve the Mission-120 or the “Double-engine” call.
