With the general elections 2024 nearing, the BJP central leadership seems to have intensified its focus on Odisha. At least seven Union Ministers visited the state in a span of two days.
A day after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda, Minister of State, Home Nityananda Rai, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ashwini Choubey and Union Minister of Jal Shakti Biseswar Tudu visited the state, Union Cabinet Minister of Labour and Employment Bhupender Yadav and Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Nisith Pramanik landed in Bhubaneswar airport on Saturday.
Soon after, the two ministers headed off for Kendrapara where they are scheduled to preside over a party meeting. The saffron party aims to come to power in the state in the 2024 Assembly election and the ministers are leaving no stones unturned.
The ministers will have a meeting with the district administration regarding the execution of Central government schemes in the districts of Odisha. They will visit villages and directly talk to beneficiaries to win their confidence.
After landing in Bhubaneswar airport, Nisith Pramanik talked to media persons and said, “India govt under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi is developing the country. Our aim to reach out to the people at Ground Zero and know the reality, if all the genuine beneficiaries have been provided with all the Central government schemes like PMAY and other schemes.”
BJP's national spokesperson Sambit Patra and party's national vice-president Baijayant Panda also came to the state to accompany the Central ministers.
“This will be a regular feature. Every month, union ministers will come to Odisha for two days. They will preside over various meetings, preparations at the ground level by the party. We will periodically continue this and prepare well for days ahead,” said Baijayant Jay Panda, National Vice President BJP.
“This will continue every month and will surely help the party in the long run,” he added.
The visit of over half-a-dozen Union Ministers to Odisha, came after recent visit of BJP's newly appointed Odisha in-charge Sunil Bansal earlier this week and Union Home Minister Amit Shah's tour in August.
During his visit, Shah had announced that Odisha has got its ‘Acche Din’. He also claimed that BJP would win Odisha in the 2024 General Elections.
BJP national president JP Nadda is also scheduled to visit Odisha later this month.