Naveen ‘doubts’ success of BJP’s Mission 120 in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Hours before BJP national president Amit Shah’s arrival in Odisha to strengthen the party organisation ahead of general elections, Odisha Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik today expressed his ‘doubt’ over the successfulness of the saffron party’s mission 120– an aim to clinch 120 seats in the poll.

“I doubt very much whether they (BJP) will get so many seats,” Patnaik said replying to media persons over a query on the BJP’s strategy.

Reacting over Patnaik’s statement, BJP spokesperson Sajjan Sharma said, “The conch party supremo doubts everyone including his partymen. He has never faced defeat and time has come for him to taste it, for which he is making such statements.”

“I welcome his (Naveen Patnaik) doubt. The people of Odisha will decide the fate of the competition between the two parties,” said Union Minister and BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan.

Odisha BJP in-charge Arun Singh claimed the party will win 120 of the 147 seats in Odisha while the BJD, Congress and others will share the remaining seats among themselves.

BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said the people of Odisha had now “developed doubts” in the Chief Minister over his “non-performance”.

“The people of the state are fed up with backwardness, misrule and corruption during the BJD rule. They are eagerly waiting for a taste of the good governance of the BJP,” he added.