We will try to come to power in Odisha in 2019, says Venkaiah Naidu

Senior BJP leader and Union minister Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said that the party, which had done well in the recent rural elections in Odisha, would try to come to power in the state in the next election.

"We will try to come to power in Odisha in 2019 (when assembly poll is due)," Naidu, who is here to attend the BJP national executive meeting, told reporters.

In the recent panchayat elections in Odisha, the BJP had secured 297 zilla parishad seats while the Congress, the main opposition party, had won just 60 zilla parishad seats.

The ruling BJD had, however, maintained its supremacy capturing 473 zilla parishad seats.

Naidu was also upbeat on the party's performance in West Bengal.

Referring to the recent by-election in Kanthi Dakshin Assembly seat, he said, "The BJP has come to the second position in Bengal while CPM has been pushed to the third. The party is growing under the leadership of Narendra Modi and results of recent elections in several states had gone in our favour."

Naidu said the focus of the BJP national executive meeting would be on welfare schemes and policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"People want Modi as their prime minister in 2019 also. The people across the country have faith in the Modi government for its pro-poor schemes and policies ... All efforts were being made to reach benefits to the people across the country," he said.

The Opposition has no agenda, leadership, unity and clarity, he added.