BJP trying to strengthen its presence in Odisha

Jajpur (Odisha) [India], May 8 (ANI): With a motive to expand the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) presence across the nation, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday led a road-show in Jajpur's Chandikhole here. "Today thousands joined the BJP here. We are strengthening presence at grass-root level in Odisha," said Pradhan. On May 7, as a part of his tour to states where BJP needs to strengthen its position, BJP chief Amit Shah reached Tripura on a two-day tour. Earlier in April, Shah visited Jammu and Kashmir on a two-day visit as part of his national 'Vistaar Yatra'. Shah is on a 95-day all-India tour from today during which he will strategise on ways to win the 2019 Lok Sabha election, with focus on clinching 120 seats where the party had lost in 2014. Shah will spend one to three days in each states. The tour will focus on taking stock of the party's organisational strength and further expansion of electoral appeal across the country. Shah is particularly focusing on states like West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana and Kerala. The BJP had managed to win just 4 Lok Sabha seats out of the 102 in these states in the 2014 election. The BJP Chief's voyage will end by 25th September, the 101th birth anniversary of Jana Sangh ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay. Apart from his 95-day tour, Shah has also chosen five states where he will spend three days each. His recent visit to West Bengal was part of the programme. (ANI)