Who is BJP’s CM candidate, asks Naveen

Nayagarh: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched a blistering attack on the BJP and dared the Saffron party to declare its Chief Ministerial candidate for the State.

“Who is BJP’s CM candidate and from which constituency its CM candidate is contesting?” asked Naveen while addressing an election rally at Daspalla in Nayagarh district today.

The BJD Supremo further said: “Is the saffron party afraid to announce its CM candidate?”

Outrightly rejecting BJP’s double-engine formula to push growth in the State, Naveen said: “It (double-engine) wouldn’t work here.”

“When election approaches the Delhi engine appears in Odisha and it disappears soon after completion of the elections. . Where were they during natural disasters like cyclonic storm Phailin, Hudhud, Titli, drought and floods? The BJP’s Delhi engine visited Andhra Pradesh after Titli, but not Odisha,” he slammed the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.

“People want to know who is the second engine of the BJP’s double-engine?” he said.

Speaking about KALIA scheme, Naveen said the BJP at the Centre is conspiring to stop financial assistance to beneficiaries under the scheme. “No one can stop the scheme till I am alive. On the day of the formation of the BJD government next, farmers will get two installments (Rs 10,000) of KALIA funds at a single go,” he assured.

Worth mentioning here that Naveen, a four-time Chief Minister, is contesting the Assembly elections from two seats this time while BJP’s Odisha face Dharmendra Pradhan, who was speculated as the front runner for the top job, had announced that he wouldn’t be contesting the polls this time.

Later in the evening, responding to Naveen’s posers, Pradhan said: “4.5 crore Odias are our chief ministerial candidate and BJP government in Odisha will be our second engine.”