Naveen hits out at BJP, Congress

The Orissa chief minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik has hit out at the Congress and BJP and has accused the two national political parties of working for the interests of their own parties and neglecting the development of Orissa.

“The national political parties are not keen on the development of the state, but they are very much interested to strengthen their party organisations. The BJD was the only party which could develop the state”, said the state chief minister.

He pointed out that the Congress party ruled Orissa for several years but did not work for the development of the state. Patnaik termed the BJP as a communal party and alleged that the party was trying to divide the society on communal lines.

The BJD exuded confidence that his party would get absolute majority in the Orissa Assembly after the elections and stated that the people of the state would elect his party to help complete the projects started by his government.

“We have undertaken several welfare projects in Orissa despite the Centre’s neglect to the state”, he said.

The state chief minister toured the Ganjam district extensively ahead of the first phase of Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state to be held on April 16.

Two Lok Sabha seats- Aska and Berhampur as well as 13 Assembly constituencies in Ganjam district are going for the first phase of polls in the state.

Patnaik addressed seven public meetings in different places in Ganjam district on Monday. He also staged a road-show in his own constituency in Hinjili on Tuesday. The chief minister covered almost all the panchayats and urban areas of his own assembly segment during the course of his campaign.