Bhubaneswar, July 6: BJP national president Amit Shah continued to slam the Naveen Patnaik government today even though he did not utter a single word against the BJD president and chief minister.
Speaking at a meeting at Basantpur on the city outskirts today, the final day of his three-day trip to Odisha, Shah urged workers to dethrone the BJD government in 2019 and exuded confidence that the party would be able to win 120 of the 147 Assembly seats in the state.
Taking a dig at the chief minister for making frequent helicopter trips, Shah said: "In contrast, in the past three days, I travelled for more than 400km by road. I read the pulse of the people. They are with Narendra Modi."
The BJP national president urged party workers to go back to their areas and tell the people about various developmental programmes initiated by the Modi government.
As the BJD continues to say it's a daydream for the BJP to come to power in 2019, Union minister of state for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan said: "Amit Shah is our national president. When he is making this announcement, it cannot be a hollow statement."
"It's a part of a bigger strategy. We will be working in that direction," Pradhan, who is being seen as the BJP's chief ministerial face for the 2019 Assembly elections, said.
Pradhan also reminded the workers how the state's political history had witnessed several changes in the past even during the Biju Patnaik regime.
BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said: "When Amit Shah is travelling across the country for party work, what form of transportation facility is he is availing? Is he not using planes and helicopters? However, nobody can stop one from dreaming."
BJP flags and Amit Shah's posters were everywhere in Basantapur village for the meeting. Shah also visited the houses of several villagers and drank a glass of lassi at one of them.
He also distributed pamphlets to some villagers.
In order to sort out differences between the party's legislative wings and the party organisation, Shah today went to the BJP legislature party leader K.V. Singh Deo's residence and held a meeting there with the party leaders.
However, during his entire tour, two prominent leaders - Bijoy Mohapatra and Rourkela MLA Dillip Ray - were conspicuous by their absence.
The party, however, downplayed the issue saying there was no rift in the party. The BJP's Odisha in charge Arun Singh said: "Ray is in Delhi in connection with a court case."
Speaking on the absence of Bijoy Mohapatra, senior BJP leader Suresh Pujari said: "It's not possible for everyone to attend each meeting. But the media makes news out of those who are not present."
