2024 general elections: BJP, Congress to count on 5T Secretary's 'political visits' issue to counter BJD 

The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress are going to fight the 2024 general elections on the issue of 5T Secretary. 
  

After the Odisha Congress Executive meeting held in Bhubaneswar yesterday, the party’s Odisha in-charge A Chellakumar lashed out at the BJD-led government, stating that the elected Chief Minister is under home arrest.  The party has sent a photo of three monkeys to all BJD Ministers, MPs and MLAs. The photo contains an English line ‘Plz Listen Plz Speak Plz See to save Odisha’. 

At the same time, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) termed the secretary’s rule as undemocratic. 

“He may be an MP, or a Minister, an MLA, or a Sarpanch, he is arranging chairs, collecting people and putting up pandals for the Chief Minister’s private secretary. It would not be an exaggeration if it is called a record. It is a mockery of democracy,” said BJP leader Samir Mohanty. 

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sarat Pattanayak said, “If the Chief Minister has popularity, why he is not going to the people? After handing the right over to someone, he is stating that he has broken a record. People will give them a befitting reply in the coming days for it destroying the democracy.”

In his response, senior BJD leader Amar Satpathy said, “Those who are playing down the mandate of the people believe undemocratic things. They are saying so as they are not getting people’s support.”

The opposition parties have started cornering the government over 5T’s whirlwind visits to different districts. They have decided to make it an issue during the coming general elections. But political analysts have opined that they have to take the issue to the grass root level to get its results. 

“If they could go to the people properly, it could be a poll issue. It all depends on how they will take it to the people and how they will chalk out their strategies,” observed political analyst Prasanna Mohanty.