Yogi Adityanath appealed to the people to vote for the BJP candidates in the elections
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Saturday took a dig at his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik and said the BJD president is contesting Assembly election from two seats "fearing" defeat in his home turf Hinjili in Ganjam district.
Like Congress president Rahul Gandhi went to Kerala, Mr Patnaik ran away from Hinjili to Bijepur apprehending defeat because of "failure" of his government on all fronts, the BJP leader said in a telephonic address for election rallies organised in Berhampur and Phulbani.
The UP Chief Minister, who was scheduled to attend two meetings in Phulbani in Kandhamal district and Berhampur in Ganjam district, was unable do so as his helicopter was not allowed to fly there due to absence of night landing and take off facilities in both the places, BJP leaders said.
While those who had been waiting at the venues for a long time to hear the firebrand BJP leader were left disappointed, Mr Adityanath, however, addressed the gathering in both these places via telephone.
Coming down heavily on the Biju Janata Dal government in Odisha, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister called upon the people to draw a comparison between the five-year rule of Narendra Modi government at the centre and 19-year rule of Naveen Patnaik-led BJD in the state.
While Patnaik government "failed" on all fronts, Modi government has ensured development in several sectors, he said adding the BJP-led government at the centre has implanted a host of welfare schemes benefiting lakhs of people.
Mr Adityanath appealed to the people to vote for the BJP candidates in the elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assembly.
While Berhampur Lok Sabha seat and seven Assembly segments under it will go to polls on April 11 in the first phase, voting in Kandhamal parliamentary constituency and its seven assembly segments will be held in the second phase on April 18.