Amit Shah slammed the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government

Jajpur:5/7/17; Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah today slammed the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government for poverty and backwardness of the state and vowed to make Odisha India’s number one State in terms of development if voted to power in 2019 elections.

Addressing a mass gathering at Panikoili in Jajpur district, on the second day of his three day campaign in Odisha to strengthen the party at the grassroots level, Shah said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has failed to develop the State in 17 years of his rule. Development is at peak in the BJP-ruled States. BJP will change the fate of Odisha in five years if comes to power. There is no dearth of water and minerals in the State. It is also one of the States with largest-growing youth population but the State is still ‘far behind’ in terms of development,” said the BJP president. Shah also exhorted the party workers and said work towards winning 120 seats has begun and the party will oust the Naveen government in 2019 polls. Hitting out at the BJD government, the BJP stalwart briefed the funds the Centre has so far given to the State under various heads like Rs 14000 crore for Railways and Rs 2000 crore for waterways and said BJD has failed in utilising the funds.