VK Pandian Lists BJP 'Self Goals' That Will Help Naveen Patnaik Win Polls

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's close aide and senior BJD leader VK Pandian on Tuesday claimed the opposition BJP has "committed nine self goals" during the ongoing Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly polls thus boosting the regional party's electoral prospect.

Mr Pandian claimed that the BJP's self-goals will help the BJD and none can stop the regional party from forming the government for the sixth consecutive time.

Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are being held simultaneously in Odisha.

He also claimed that the BJD has so far by the end of the third phase of Assembly polls, already secured majority to form government in the state and the next and final phase of voting will be held in BJD's stronghold areas.

Speaking on the nine self-goals of the BJP, Mr Pandian claimed that the number one "mistake" in the series was to drag Lord Jagannath's name to the political discourse and also using "abusive language" against Odisha's most popular and five-time chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

"The people of Odisha do not appreciate these words against a respected person like Mr Patnaik," he said.

On the second self-goal, Mr Pandian said they have said in the manifesto to "close down" the Mission Shakti if BJP comes to power. They have all along conspired against Mission Shakti which has about 70 lakh women membership. This possible action of BJP has created a "panicky situation" among the women.

He said if the BJP comes to power, it will "stop" the benefits of the Biju Swaasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) for the people of Odisha by implementing the Ayushman Bharat scheme. While the Ayushman Bharat scheme is only for the BPL people, the BSKY covers about 90 per cent of the state's population.

"This is the third self-goal and the people of Odisha will teach BJP a lesson in the elections," Mr Pandian said.

The bureaucrat-turned-politician said the BJD government has introduced school, college, university and technical education institutions transformation. The BJP will "close down" all such activities if it comes to power. This apart, the BJP will also "stop" giving scholarships to the students, Mr Pandian claimed.

On the fifth self-goal, Mr Pandian said the tribals "fear" that the BJP will "stop" the BJD's Special Development Councils (SDCs) which work to protect and promote the tribal language and culture. No BJP rules state has such facilities for the tribals as provided by the Patnaik government in Odisha, he claimed.

This apart, Mr Pandian said that the people are apprehensive that the state's communal harmony will be disturbed if the BJP comes to power. In "Double Engine Sarkar" states, there is illegal extortion collection and small businessmen are the victims, he alleged. The people apprehend that such culture will also come to Odisha if BJP forms government in the state, he said.

Regarding MSP on paddy, Mr Pandian said that the BJP has now announced to give Rs 3,100 as MSP per quintal of paddy. The people are now asking why it was not earlier while the central government is the authority to decide the rate of MSP.

He said the BJP got a shock after the Patnaik government announced free electricity to about 90 per cent of the households. They have now coined free power versus solar power.

The BJP's solar power scheme will meet the fate of the Ujjawala scheme where the women had to pay heavy price after getting a cylinder or two free of cost, he said.

On the BJP's ninth self-goal, Mr Pandian said it is BJP's 'Subhadra Yojana' under which the saffron party announced to give Rs 50,000 to each women.

"If each woman in Odisha gets Rs 50,000, the total amount required will be Rs 1 lakh core. This is another 'jumla' of BJP after the false assurance of Rs 15 lakh to each family,"Mr Pandian said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)