BJP confident of winning over 2/3rd LoK Sabha seats in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win at least 15 Lok Sabha (LS) seats out of the total 21 in Odisha in the 2024 Parliamentary elections, asserted Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today.

Pradhan made this assertion during an interview to a New-Delhi based Hindi news channel.

“I am confident that the BJP will secure more than 45 per cent votes in Odisha in 2024 Parliamentary elections. The party will win at least 15 Lok Sabha seats in the state,” said Pradhan.

The BJP had won eight LS seats in Odisha in the last Parliamentary elections in 2019. The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the state bagged 12 LS seats while Congress party secured victory in one seat.

“The BJP had secured 22 per cent votes in the 2014 Parliamentary elections in Odisha and won one LS seat. The party’s voting percentage went up to 38 per cent in the state in 2019 elections and it secured victory in eight LS seats. The ruling BJD got 42 per cent votes and it candidates came victorious in 12 LS seats. The regional party got only 4 per cent more votes than BJP in 2019,” claimed Pradhan.

Answering a query on the cordial relation between BJP and BJD in Odisha, the Union Education Minister further said, “We have a political rivalry with BJD in Odisha. But, we do not believe in using harsh and objectionable languages towards our political opponents.”

The Union Minister claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is very much popular in Odisha. “The Prime Minister’s approval rating has been hovering around 80 per cent in the state. The BJP’s voting percentage in Parliamentary elections in Odisha has doubled within 2014 and 2019. So, we are confident of securing at least 45 per cent votes in Odisha in 2024 elections,” he said.

Commenting on the Union Minister’s assertion, BJP Odisha unit president Manmohan Samal said, “We will win over 15 LS seats in the state and also secure majority in the Assembly election. The BJP will form government in Odisha by defeating the BJD.”

The Congress party in Odisha said the Union Minister’s assertion of winning 15 LS seats in the state is nothing but a ‘daydream’.

“The BJP’s recent victory in the Assembly elections in three states might have prompted the Union Minister to make this assertion. But, his assertion will not come true in Odisha. The Congress party will do well in the 2024 elections and form government in the state,” said senior Congress leader Jaydev Jena.