Bhubaneswar: The rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Cuttack on Saturday has galvanised BJP cadres across the state with the party now hoping to make a decisive foray into the coastal belt where its presence so far has been negligible.
"Cuttack is the gateway to coastal Odisha, the political heartland of the state. The turnout at the prime minister's rally was an indication of his increasing popularity in this region. The event has generated the right kind of momentum for us to take advantage of and make our presence felt on the coast," said BJP MLA Pradeep Purohit.
With only two out of its 10 MLAs coming from the coastal belt, the BJP has been trying hard to push deeper into the region that accounts for the largest number of Assembly seats. "For us to have a pan-Odisha image, it is important that we get a strong foothold on the politically-important coast. We now have only two legislators from this belt. The eight others come from west Odisha, which has been our traditional stronghold," said a senior BJP leader.
Purohit admitted that the choice of Cuttack as the venue of Prime Minister's rally to mark the fourth anniversary of his government was both symbolic and a tactical move by the party.
"The city, which happens to be the old capital of the state, is the political nerve centre of the coastal belt. The rally was a test for us and its success has blown the myth that coastal Odisha is the stronghold of the BJD," said Purohit.
Most BJP leaders agreed that Modi's visit has generated the right kind of momentum for the party which would leverage it with an eye on the next polls.
"In the wake of the prime minister's rally, the target of 120-plus Assembly seats set by our party president Amit Shah seems achievable. We only need to implement the right kind of strategy with total dedication," said Purohit.
BJD secretary Bijay Nayak laughed off the BJP's "tall talk" about making a dent into his party's votebank in the coastal belt. "They are daydreaming. If they want to live in a fool's paradise, I wish them all the best," he said.
