BJP struggles with family parties, Odisha needs two-machine governance: JP Nadda

Bhubaneswar, September 29 (IANS) BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nada said on Thursday that the saffron party is fighting with family parties in various parts of the country, including Odisha.

Addressing booth-level workers at the Janata Maidan here, Nada said the BJP is the largest political party in the world with a strength of 18 crores.

“There is no party with such power in the world. We are an ideological national party. For us, it is always the nation first, but keeping regional aspirations in mind,” he said.

“This is a cadre party with a mass of followers. After the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, we formed government in Bihar, Assam and Puducherry for the first time… So we are a national party with government in maximum number of states,” Nadda said.

“Today we are fighting against the Indian National Congress, but the party is no longer national nor Indian as it has become a brother and sister party,” he said.

“We are also fighting against the parties based on dynasties. Abdullah and Muftis in Jammu and Kashmir, Chauthalas in Haryana, Badals in Punjab, Akhilesh in UP, Yadavs in Bihar and Soren in Jakhanda. In Odisha, the party is one-man… We are fighting family-run parties,” he added.

“Dynasty politics is also prevalent in Odisha with the presence of Biju Patnaik’s party. BJP is the only party which is not family based and is driven by ideology,” the BJP chief said.

Nadda also briefed the party workers about the steps taken by the Narendra Modi government to provide safe drinking water, power supply, pucca houses, toilets etc. for the people of Odisha.

Institutions like AIIMS, IIM, NISER and many medical colleges have been set up by the Modi government in Odisha, he said.

“India’s first tribal president, Draupadi Murmu, is from Odisha and more than 15 people from the state have been conferred with Padma awards. This was never the case during the UPA rule and shows PM Modi’s immense love for the state,” he added.

Taking a dig at the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government in Odisha, Nadda said, “This government is defaming central schemes. Prime Minister Awas Yojana has been branded as Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana. While 50 crore people are covered under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, 60 lakh people in Odisha are deprived of it.

The Center has released Rs 15,490 crore to Odisha under MGNREGA but fake bills are being made here, he said.

“Similarly, billions of rupees are being spent under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). Yet tribal women in Odisha go to lakes and wells to fetch water for drinking. This shows that the Naveen Patnaik-led government is riddled with corruption,” the BJP chief said.

Alleging that advocates have become perpetrators of crimes in Odisha, Nada said, “The state of governance in Odisha can be gauged from the fact that three ministers have been accused of murder.”

Nada added that even the ‘Ratna Bhandar’ of Lord Jagannath is not safe in Odisha.

“The Ratna Bhandar key was missing and later a duplicate key was found. Eradicate this type of duplicate government and bring BJP to power in Odisha,” he said.

“BJD has ruled Odisha for 20 years but has failed to provide ambulances for pregnant women in remote areas,” the BJP leader alleged.

Time to uproot this government and bring a twin engine ‘sarkar’ for development, Nada told party workers.

The BJP president is on a two-day visit to the state. This is Nada’s first visit to Odisha after being appointed BJP chief.