Bhubaneswar, (Orissa Today), May 13: In response to the BJD’s inquiry regarding its chief ministerial candidate, Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal stated on Monday that the decision would be made by the party’s parliamentary committee. Criticizing the BJD, Samal remarked, “The BJD leaders can never understand our party. They don’t know how to elect a CM.”
Samal’s remarks came shortly after BJD leaders Pranab Prakash Das and Sasmit Patra tweeted about the saffron party’s alleged acceptance of their demand and called for a press conference to announce its chief ministerial candidate.
However, the state BJP chief refuted these claims, asserting that the BJD lacks sufficient leadership and is effectively run by a ‘gumasta’ (representative/agency). He criticized the sidelining of ministers and MLAs in favor of menial tasks like tent setup and traffic management, stating, “A party that fails to groom its second rung of leaders has no moral right to question us about our CM candidate.”
Samal further criticized the functioning of the Odisha government, citing concerns about transparency and democracy. He accused the BJD of deflecting attention by making desperate statements against the Prime Minister and attempting to sow confusion among voters.
Regarding the ongoing elections, Samal expressed confidence in the BJP’s success, claiming that all four Lok Sabha seats being contested were leaning in the party’s favor. He predicted a similar outcome for most Assembly seats, asserting that the BJP would emerge victorious with the support of Odisha’s population.
Samal concluded by reaffirming the BJP’s commitment to fulfilling its manifesto promises.
