BJP able to repeat UP performance in Odisha, says Shah

Bhubaneswar: BJP president Amit Shah today said that the party demolished a myth that regional parties were invincible by winning in Uttar Pradesh defeating Samajwadi Party and was able to repeat the performance in Odisha.

While addressing BJP National Executive meeting here, Shah came down heavily on Odisha government which is headed by BJD, also a regional party.

"Mis-governance of Naveen Patnaik government has added to the miseries of the people in the state," Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said quoting Shah while briefing reporters after inauguration of the two-day National Executive meet.

He said that the people of Odisha were deprived of basic amenities like drinking water, power and sanitation.

Shah, in his speech, said that 14 per cent people in Odisha were denied safe drinking water, 22 per cent did not have toilet and 41 per cent lacked quality electricity.

This apart, 46 per cent of the state's population were below poverty line (BPL), Shah said.

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"The Centre has given adequate funds to the state through different means and the 14th Finance Commission has allocated good amount of money. If the state government does not make proper utilisation of the funds, it is state's failure," Shah said.

The people of UP rejected family politics, caste politics and a 'non-performing' government, he said referring to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who has been carrying forward his father Biju Patnaik's legacy.

BJP was earlier weak in Odisha, but the situation has changed and now the party is at number two, pushing Congress to third position in local body elections, Shah said.

"We were also weak in north eastern states like Assam and Manipur. But, BJP formed governments in these two states.

We will also win Odisha," Shah said at the meeting.

Prasad said Shah thanked the people of Odisha for backing BJP in a big way in recent Panchayat polls and according an "unprecedented" welcome to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his arrival here.