People of Odisha have given befitting reply to big-mouthed leaders: Pradhan

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Feb 18:

With the trends in the first three phases of Panchayat polls in Odisha swinging in favour of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Dharmendra Pradhan today said that poor people have rallied their support behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi, especially after the demonetization move.

Talking to newsmen at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) here, the Union leader said that it is a mandate against corrupt and inefficient government. Besides, people have reposed faith on the fight against black money and Narendra Modi’s leadership.

Pradhan further took a jibe at the state government for being egotistic.

“There is no place for ego in democracy. People, especially poor, do not retort to it. Rather, they express in actions. They have proved it by voting in favour of BJP in Kujang,” Pradhan stated.

Notably, the saffron party has reportedly captured sizable vote share in the Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput (KBK) region which was in news in the recent times for the Dana Majhi incident in which the tribal family was denied a hearse to carry his dead wife to his home. The tribal man had to carry his wife on his shoulders for about 12 km before any help arrived at him.

“People in the malaria-prone and Japanese Encephalitis-infested Malkangiri district have given befitting reply to those big-mouthed BJD leaders who were drawing parallels between BJP and dengue. I am grateful to the people of Jagatsinghpur for their support,”

He hoped that the trend would continue in the next two phases of the rural polls scheduled to conclude on February 21.

The national party is upbeat after the trends in the first three phases indicated massive wins in the Zilla Parishad zones across the state. BJP is expected to grab 71, 58 and 63 ZP zones with two more rounds of polls remaining.