Bhubaneswar: The BJP has set its eye on the state's coastal belt, which is a traditional BJD stronghold, and the party is planning to use Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Saturday rally as a launch pad.

At present the BJP has only 10 MLAs and only two of them are from the coastal belts of Chilika in Khurda district and Remuna in Balasore. BJP leaders admit that their Mission 120 Plus in Odisha can be successful only if they succeed in making a dent in the BJD's traditional coastal votebank, especially Cuttack.

Just a day ahead of Modi's visit to the state, the BJD has planned a show of strength at Paradip, just 80km from Cuttack, on Friday to mark the end its save Mahanadi campaign.

This BJD rally is expected to ask the Modi to clear his stand on the Mahanadi row, which has turned into a major controversy and a sentimental issue for the state.

Talking about the Saturday rally, Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan said: "The Prime Minister will talk about issues concerning the state. Earlier there had been no investment in the state's road, rail, waterways and aviation sectors. Development never happened in Odisha. We will get a chance to spell out our plans for the state."

BJP state vice-president Samir Mohanty told The Telegraph: "After our success in Karnataka, where our seat count went up from 40 to 104, the Prime Minister wants to send a political message and for this he has chosen Cuttack."

He said: "We will mobilise nearly five lakh people from Cuttack district for the Prime Minister's event. People have started preparations for the meeting on their own." This will be the sixth visit of the Prime Minister to the state.

Sources said while the BJP is keen to make its presence felt in the coastal belt as its strength has been confined mainly to western Odisha, the territory of its state unit chief and legislature party leader, the BJD is determined to keep its bastion intact. The ruling party has turned the heat on Modi by raking up the Mahanadi issue.

BJD leader Damodar Rout, who has been entrusted with the task to ensure success of the save Mahanadi campaign's concluding event in Paradip, on Thursday came down heavily on the BJP leadership to organise Modi's rally at the Bali yatra ground on the banks of Mahanadi.

He said: "We had expected that the Prime Minister would intervene in the Mahanadi issue in a non-partisan manner, but he has openly favoured Chhattisgarh. At the same time, by organising the rally on the banks of the Mahanadi, the BJP leadership has rubbed salt into the wounds of the Odias."

He said: "The BJP's hope of forming a government in the state will remain a dream."