For the first time after making the announcement that the BJP will contest 2024 general elections under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be visiting Odisha on August 7.
During his two-day tour, Shah will pay obeisance at the Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar, visit the birthplace of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and attend the 'Amruta Utasav of the Prajatantra' to mark the 75th anniversary of the Odia daily at the indoor stadium in Cuttack.
The Home Minister will also launch the Odisha chapter of 'Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery', a book on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's completion of 20 years as the head of a government- from becoming the Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001 to being elected the Prime Minister of India in 2014 and again in 2019.
Meanwhile, the political atmosphere in the State is surcharged ahead of Shah's visit. Political assumptions are also ripe that Shah will relaunch BJP's 'Mission 120' which the party failed to achieve in 2019 general polls.
Shah's 'Mo Booth Sabuthu Majboot' (my booth is the strongest) programme was a success for the party's Odisha unit. And now, it is believed that Shah will come up with another 'sanjeevani' for the State unit. During his stay, Shah is likely to review the party organisation and the 2024 roadmap in Odisha.
On the other hand, the ruling BJD and the Congress said that the Home Minister's visit will have no impact. "Amit Shah's 2024 strategy for Odisha will have no impact on Congress," said MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati.
He further alleged that the fear of ED and CBI is forcing the ruling BJD to extend support to the BJP. "The BJP will be wiped out because of the current rising prices and lack of MSP hike," claimed Bahinipati.
BJD MLA Sashibhusan Behera said the Odisha government is working all out in the interest of the people of Odisha. "We are always ready for elections, you may conduct it in 2023 or 2024, we are ready," he added.