Sambalpur (Odisha) [India], May 8 : Union Minister and BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Sambalpur, Dharmendra Pradhan hit out at Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and asked why the people in Odisha were poor despite the state having fertile land and mineral resources.
Dharmendra Pradhan said, "After running 24 years stable government, why are the people in Odisha poor despite the State having fertile land, mineral resources, long sea coasts, rich culture and heritage more importantly."
He alleged that despite making several promises to the people of Odisha, the BJD government failed to provide them with basic necessities such as drinking water and water for irrigation.
He launched a fresh attack against CM Naveen Patnaik and raised five questions.
Dharmendra Pradhan asked, "Why are the students leaving schools in Odisha? Why is there a shortage of teachers in schools in Odisha? Why are there no doctors in the government hospitals in Odisha? Why has the primary health care service in Odisha deteriorated? Why has "Dadan" (migration of workers to outside the state) increased in Odisha?"
Pradhan accused the Chief Minister of being "remote-controlled" by his party leaders while addressing the election rally.
Pradhan's comments come after Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remark that "June 4 is the expiry date of the BJD government, saying that "BJP is daydreaming about forming government in Odisha."
Sharing a video on X, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) media coordinator Saurabh Srivastava wrote, "BJP daydreaming about forming a government in Odisha, says CM Naveen Patnaik."
The state of Odisha will hold Assembly elections and Lok Sabha elections in four phases from May 13 to June 1, with vote counting scheduled for June 4.
In the 2019 Assembly election, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) won 112 out of 146 seats, while Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) won 23 seats and Congress won 9.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) won the majority of seats in the state, while the BJP and the Congress brought up the rear.
The BJD won 12 seats, the BJP finished a close second at 8, and the Congress bagged just a lone seat.