Indus Valley Times

By Nalini Sahu

BHUBANESWAR, MAY 19:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Odisha on Sunday evening on a two-day trip to the state. He is scheduled to hold a roadshow in pilgrim city Puri on Monday morning. Later in the day, he will address two public meetings at Cuttack and Angul.

Soon after his arrival at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here, the PM went straight to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state headquarters at Ram Mandir Square where he was huddled up with top leaders and strategists for nearly 30 minutes. Sources said the PM reviewed the party’s performance in the first phase elections in the state held on May 13. Besides, he also examined the campaign strategy put into execution so far.

The PM has declared that June 4 is the “expiry date” of the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal government in Odisha and the BJP will form its own government in the state on June 10.

Having declared that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will form its government in Odisha on June 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to be putting extra efforts in the state to see that the audacious mission he has set is accomplished without any hiccups and he earns no embarrassment as he witnessed in 2014 and 2019.

In 2014 and 2019, though the BJP had set a target to capture power by unseating the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) from power, it suffered miserably, largely because of a poor organisational base at the grassroots.

The PM has already addressed six poll meetings and held one roadshow in his previous two trips to Odisha earlier this month. 

On Monday morning, the PM will offer prayers to Lord Jagannath and Puri and later hold a massive roadshow there. Thereafter, he addressed two public meetings – one at Cuttack and the other at Angul under Dhenkanal parliamentary constituency.

The BJP has fielded Bhartruhari Mahtab, a former BJD MP, as its Lok Sabha candidate.  Rudra Narayan Pani, a firebrand BJP leader, is contesting from Dhenkanal seat.