Bhubaneswar: The ruling BJD today claimed that the Odisha state BJP president and two of its union ministers have been rejected by the people of their respective districts in the three-tier panchayat elections.
"BJP state president Basant Panda, union ministers Jual Oram and Dharmendra Pradhan, have been rejected by the people of Nuapada, Sundergarh and Dhenkanal-Angul districts," BJD youth wing president and minister Sanjay Dasburma said.
"The BJD is all set to form Zila Parishad Councils in these districts," Dasburma said.
During a press conference, Dasburma, accompanied by party's general secretary Arun Sahoo, accused BJP of adopting 'Goebbels propaganda theory', saying the party is trying to mislead the people of the state.
"The BJP has adopted the Goebbels propaganda theory and attempts to create an impression in the public that they have defeated the ruling BJD," Sahoo said.
As per the theory, if one tells something repeatedly that is utterly false, people will eventually come to believe it.
Claiming that the BJD led by Naveen Patnaik was still the number one political party in the state after winning about 470 to 480 Zila Parishad seats in the panchayat elections, Sahoo said, the BJP's tally could be less than 300.
"While BJD got about 55 per cent of the seats, the opposition parties could only manage to get remaining 45 per cent. BJP could win in 33 per cent of seats," Sahoo said.
He, however, admitted that the BJD's seat share has come down in the panchayat polls and the party was reviewing the situation.
"It is like a day dream for the BJP leaders to aspire victory in the 2019 general elections. BJD will continue to remain in number one position," Sahoo said.