BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday wrapped up his two-day tour of Odisha with claims of forming the next government in the state.
“I have set a target to add 40 lakh new members for the party in Odisha (as against the present strength of six lakh). I believe the state unit has been raising people’s issues and that it will do better organisationally and politically in future,” Shah told reporters.
He, however, drew questions from party cadres as well as media persons for not attacking Naveen Patnaik government’s alleged scams during his public meeting on Tuesday.
“I did not say much about him as party leaders had already attacked the state government. When leaders say something from the same platform as me, rest assured that it has been raised on my behalf,” Shah said.
Party leaders said Shah is not satisfied with the BJP strength in Odisha and expressed his displeasure during interaction with cadres. He reportedly told them attacking the state government without required organisation would not yield results because the Patnaik-led BJD had come back to power with a massive mandate in the 2014 elections.
The BJD won 117 out of the 147 assembly seats and 20 out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the general elections.
The BJP shared power with the BJD for nine years before Patnaik snapped ties with it in 2009.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP shared power with the BJD for nine years before Patnaik snapped ties with it in 2009.
{{/usCountry}}Since then BJP’s fortunes have been on a decline in the state. But unearthing of recent chit fund scam has diminished BJD’s support and given the saffron party a chance to revive itself in Odisha.