Bhubaneswar, (Orissa Today), May 24: At a press conference on Friday, 5T chairman V K Pandian expressed confidence that the BJD would secure a comfortable majority in the third-round Assembly elections in Odisha.
Pandian stated, “With the blessings of Lord Jagannath and the people of the state, the BJD will form the government after the third-round elections. The fourth-round election will further solidify our margin.”
He added that BJP leaders in the state were confined to their constituencies due to the strategic maneuvers of the BJD and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. “Since they are unable to extend beyond their constituencies, national leaders of the party are stepping in to campaign for them. However, by resorting to criticism against the CM, they are inadvertently aiding the BJD in improving its vote share,” Pandian remarked. “We are a mature democracy, and one must understand where to draw the line. Criticizing great leaders solely for electoral gains is unacceptable. History will not look kindly upon such actions. The people of Odisha will also take note, and we will witness the results on June 4.”
Regarding the ongoing criticism from Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma directed at Naveen Patnaik, Pandian refrained from making direct comments, considering Sarma as a guest to the state. “I would suggest that he instead focuses on praying to Lord Jagannath so that Assam can achieve the same level of development as Odisha in the next 5-10 years. He should also take the time to understand how the CM maintains his strong position even after 24 years in power. Perhaps, he was still in college or studying law in 1998 when Naveen Babu was already involved in political leadership under his mentor. It’s worth noting that Naveen Babu served as a minister in Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s Cabinet,” Pandian concluded.
