Congress, BJD used poor as ‘vote bank’ in Odisha: Modi    

Kalahandi: It seems like Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has rolled up its sleeves for the elections battle to ensure a ‘double-engine’ Government in the Centre and in Odisha.

A day after BJP National President Amit Shah tried all possible ways to woo voters, it was the turn of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who attended his second election campaign rally in the State today.

Without taking names, Modi fired the salvo at BJD and Congress alleging that both the parties have conspired to keep the poor of the State poor during their leadership. “The two parties have used the poor and farmers in the State as ‘vote bank’ and later betrayed them after coming to power. Large numbers of people are migrating to other states in search of work,” he stated.

Modi further cornered the BJD Government over chit fund and mining scams. He alleged that the Odisha Government, during its 19 years of rule, has only given patronage to fraudsters, chit fund and mining Mafias. “The State’s natural resources which could have been utilized to enrich the lives of poor people here have been given to chit fund and mining Mafias,” he added.

Speaking in the same vein, Modi questioned the people, “Do you need a chit fund Mafia or a Chowkidar? Do you need a mining Mafia or a Chowkidar?”

Modi also criticized the BJD Government over the the latter’s ‘non-cooperation’ in Centrally-sponsored schemes like PM-KISAN scheme and Ayushman Bharat. “While around 12 crores of farmers are getting direct benefits under the PM-KISAN scheme, the BJD Government is standing as a wall between the farmers and the scheme,” he said.

Assuring that BJP will bring improvement in the lives of poor people in Odisha if voted to power, Modi appealed the people to cast their votes in favour of the saffron party in Bhubaneswar and in New Delhi to form a ‘double engine’ Government.

Besides, the PM also highlighted various achievements during his last five years of rule and said, “24 lakh houses in Odisha have access to electricity, 8 lakh people have pucca houses, 40 lakh poor households have got gas connections, 1.40 crore bank accounts have been opened and 50 lakh toilets constructed in the last five years.”

All of these have been achieved because of your votes only, he added.