Naveen Patnaik accuses BJP of false promises, vows continued service to Odisha

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly, Naveen Patnaik, on Wednesday accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of coming to power in the state by making false promises and misleading the people. He made these remarks while addressing a gathering in Bhubaneswar to launch his party’s annual “Jan Sampark Yatra.”

Patnaik claimed that BJP had failed to deliver on several key promises, including free electricity of 300 units, social security pensions of ₹3,000, and benefits under the Subhadra Yojana, which pledged ₹50,000 for women. He emphasized that BJP’s lies had now been exposed, pointing to rising prices and safety concerns in the state, referencing recent incidents of assault, including one in the Raj Bhavan.

The former chief minister, who led Odisha for 24 years, vowed to continue serving the people regardless of his position, saying the BJD had evolved beyond a political party into a movement. He highlighted his government's accomplishments, including reducing poverty, boosting per capita income, and improving infrastructure, education, and healthcare through initiatives like the Biju Health Kalyan Yojana.

Patnaik said the BJD remains in the hearts of Odisha’s people and criticized the BJP government for renaming welfare schemes, asserting that people cannot be deceived by superficial changes. BJP spokesperson Manoj Mohapatra responded by denying the allegations, asserting that the current government had met its commitments, while accusing Patnaik of misleading the public about his party’s track record in Odisha. He defended the BJP’s governance, highlighting that the people had chosen the BJP over BJD in the most recent elections, signaling a rejection of Patnaik's leadership.

Despite the electoral defeat, Patnaik emphasized that the BJD had secured a higher percentage of votes (40.22%) compared to the BJP (40.07%), suggesting that the BJP won more seats through deception. He concluded by pledging that the BJD would continue to expose the BJP's incompetence and false promises as they move forward with their outreach efforts.