Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) kicked off the deliberations on its manifesto, termed ‘Sankalp Patra’, for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections with the inaugural meeting of its manifesto committee in New Delhi on Monday. Chaired by senior BJP leader and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the 27-member panel includes three prominent leaders from Odisha: Dharmendra Pradhan, Ashwini Vaishanaw, and Jual Oram.
Having already announced candidates for all 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha, including Dharmendra Pradhan from Sambalpur and Jual Oram from Sundargarh, the saffron party now gears up to escalate its campaign efforts. With plans to conduct 100 rallies across the state, featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and other key figures, the BJP aims to intensify its outreach and consolidate support among the electorate.
Speaking at a press conference in Bhubaneswar, Odisha BJP vice-president Golak Mohapatra outlined the party’s strategy, emphasizing the organization of mega rallies in all 21 Lok Sabha constituencies. These rallies will not only feature top BJP leaders but will also see the participation of chief ministers from other states, including Uttar Pradesh’s Yogi Adityanath and Assam’s Himanta Biswa Sarma, who will engage with voters across different assembly segments.
Prime Minister Modi, who has already addressed rallies in Sambalpur and Chandikhole on February 3 and March 5 respectively, is slated to conduct roadshows in Odisha as part of the BJP’s campaign blitzkrieg. Mohapatra stressed that these events are pivotal components of the party’s overarching strategy aimed at challenging the incumbent Naveen Patnaik-led government in Odisha.
Furthermore, the BJP plans to release a chargesheet against the state government, highlighting issues such as governance usurpation, preservation of Odia identity (‘Odia Asmita’), administrative control by non-Odia bureaucrats, alleged misconduct by BJD ministers, and the involvement of BJD leaders in cases related to crimes against women. The party is expected to leverage ‘Odia Asmita’ as a significant electoral plank in its bid to resonate with the sentiment of the Odia populace.
With the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections scheduled to be conducted in four phases in Odisha starting from May 13, the political landscape in the state is poised for a dramatic showdown as parties gear up for a high-stakes electoral battle. As the BJP intensifies its campaign efforts and sharpens its narrative, all eyes remain on the unfolding dynamics of the electoral contest in Odisha.
