State BJP celebrates Modi’s anointment

OST Bureau

Bhubaneswar, Sep 13:

Spontaneous celebrations broke out among BJP workers in the state after the anointment of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi as the prime ministerial candidate of the party in the 2014 elections. Crackers were burst and ladoos distributed at the state BJP office here after the announcement was made by party president Rajnath Singh in New Delhi.

The party hoped that the Modi mantra would help revive the state unit. “The anointment of Modi as the PM candidate has encouraged the party cadres to fight with the ruling BJD and Congress in the state with renewed vigour. We will propagate the Modi mantra in the coming elections to throw out the incumbent BJD government,” said state BJP president KV Singhdeo after the anouncement.

Asked about the cold shouder given to party ignore patriarch LK Advani, who has expressed his dissatisfaction over the elevation of Modi, Singdeo said, “It was the demand of public to see Modi as Prime Minister. The sentiments of the people cannot be ignored.”

The BJP is struggling to make its presence felt in the state ever since the ruling BJD severed ties with it in the run up to the last Assembly elections. Hvaing failed to reach double digits in 2009, the partydid not do much better in the panchayat election last year.

However, it is expected that Modi’s annointment will give a fillip to party leaders, who are campaigning for the urban local bodies (ULBs) polls scheduled to be held on September 19.

Meanwhile, Congress and BJD said that elevation of Modi would have no impact on people in Odisha.

“The coming elections will be a fight between the Congress and the BJD. Since BJP has no existence in the state, the anointment of Modi will have no impact on people of Odisha,” said PCC president Jaydev Jena.

BJD vice-president and Finance minister Prasanna Acharya said, “There is no reason to fear Modi as BJD is a powerful party in the state and becoming more powerful with the opposition thoroughly divided. The party will certainly register a victory in the coming elections.”