Lotus to bloom in all 21 LS seats: Narendra Modi

Nabarangpur: Beginning his speech with ‘Jay Jagannath’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday exhorted people of Odisha to help the Lotus bloom in all 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state and the BJP to form a government in the state.

“Double engine government in Delhi and Odisha will help accelerate development in the state. Therefore, I request you to help the Lotus bloom in all 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state and also BJP to register a ‘bumper victory’ in Vidha Sabha election so that Odisha gets new energy and new leadership,” he said while addressing the public meeting at Chikili in Nabarangpur district.

Modi told the gathering to note down June 4, which will be the expiry date of BJD government. “I am here to invite you to the swearing in ceremony of the BJP CM in Bhubaneswar on June 10,” he said, adding that he is hopeful that they would accept his invite unlike those who declined for consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

The CM will be the son or daughter of the state and not any outsider. “The one who respects the soil of Odisha and its culture, knows its problems and has a connection with the people will become BJP’s CM. This is Modi’s guarantee,” he asserted.

He then spoke about the Sankalp Patra unveiled by the state unit of the saffron party the previous day. “They should be lauded for it. The Sankalp Patra envisions rapid progress of Odisha. It has a clear roadmap and initiatives for fulfilling your dreams. Subhadra Yojana is a significant scheme for financially empowering Nari Shakti and will certainly transform the lives of the women here. The BJP will build ‘Odia Samudaya Bhawan’ in all metro cities of the country for the welfare of Odia people living outside the state. This is Modi’s guarantee. There is also assurances for tribals, farmers, women and unemployed youth. These will be implemented immediately once the BJP forms its government in the state,” he said.

He further said people of Odisha are strong and passionate, but it’s unfortunate that the BJD government has not given them the right opportunities. “The BJD government did not allow the schemes initiated by the Centre to be implemented in the state. And a few which were anyhow implemented, the BJD has put its stamp of corruption on those,” he said.

He also assured inclusive development of Jagannath Temple in Puri. ” Like Kashi Viswanath corridor and Ayodhya Ram Temple, Modi will make Jagannath Shrine ‘Bhavya,” he said.

Speaking about the party’s success in neighbouring Chhattisgarh, he said that the BJP government there procures paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal but in Odisha, it is only Rs 2,100. “That’s why Odisha BJP has announced to buy paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal the very next day after BJP forms government in the state,” he said while mentioning about bonus for Kendu leaf pluckers.

Modi further said farmers in Koraput and Nabarangpur are not getting adequate water to irrigate their lands despite the presence of Indravati Dam. “Those in the neighbouring Chhattisgarh are growing three crops in a year. While farmers are struggling, employment has also gone for a toss in the state. Youths are forced to migrate to other states in search of jobs. The BJD government has not been able to solve these problems. Do you need such people at the helm?” he asked.

The PM then urged the gathering to give BJP a change to serve the state. “It is Modi’s guarantee that we will develop Odisha into the number 1 state in the country in the next five years. Eithi paien mo biwas, Odisha ra vikash nichaya haba (I believe development will surely take place in Odisha),” he said, while outlining his government’s achievement in the last 10 years.

He also mentioned about Odisha native Droupadi Murmu, occupying the highest office in the country, and the replica of the Konark Wheel from Odisha’s Sun Temple, which served as the backdrop for his welcome handshake with G-20 leaders as they arrived at the summit venue, Bharat Mandapam.

PM Modi said that 40 years back, a Prime Minister had come to Odisha and said that he sends 1 rupee from Delhi but only 15 paisa reaches the people. “The Congress used to loot the remaining money. I ensured that nobody will dare to loot money meant for the people. In Jharkhand, huge cash has been seized. It is natural for the opposition to abuse Modi for crackdown on corruption as beneficiaries are getting direct cash transfer in their bank accounts,” he added.