The BJP has declared Odisha as a priority state for the assembly and Lok Sabha elections in 2019.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday attacked the Naveen Patnaik-led government in Odisha, alleging that the "demon of corruption" had become strong in the state under the rule of the Biju Janata Dal with an all-pervading '"percentage commission culture'".
"Demon of corruption in the form of chit fund scams and PC (percentage commission) culture has grown strong in Odisha," PM Modi said.
PM Modi's scathing allegation comes as Odisha is gearing up for its assembly polls next year along with the Lok Sabha General Elections.
PM Modi alleged that inefficiency and corruption have kept Odisha backward, despite assistance from the Centre. PM Modi also sought to know who is "feeding and patronising the demon of corruption".
"The Centre has launched a slew of project and pumped in huge funds for Odisha's development, but despite all these, the state is lagging behind," PM Modi alleged.
The BJP has declared Odisha as a priority state for the assembly and Lok Sabha elections in 2019.
Naveen Patnaik, the chief of BJD, has been at the helm of affairs in Odisha since 2000 and is seeking a fifth term as the chief minister next year.
PM Modi was speaking at a BJP rally in Khurda near Bhubaneswar. He launched several projects for Odisha. He also released a stamp and a coin to commemorate Odisha's 1817 Paika rebellion.
PM Modi also inaugurated a new IIT-Bhubaneswar campus and launched projects worth over Rs 14,500 crore in Odisha. He claimed the projects will accelerate Odisha's development and make the state an engine to transform the country into a "New India".