Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik known for impeccable honesty so people bless him: BJD leader VK Pandian

Balangir (Odisha) [India], May 16 (ANI): 5T Chairman and BJD leader VK Pandian claimed that the self-confidence of local BJP leaders is so low that union ministers and chief ministers from outside the state come to campaign for them in Odisha. He said that Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is known for his impeccable honesty and that is why people bless him.
VK Pandian said, "Today, the national president of BJP has said that they are selecting somebody who will be more honest than Naveen Babu. That means people of Odisha that there is absolutely nobody in BJP's stock who is going to be the CM face for next 25 years. I don't think there is anyone in Odisha or in India who will be more honest than Naveen Babu. He is known for his impeccable honesty and that is why they bless him continuously."
He further said that even the presence of BJP Union Ministers would not be able to boost the confidence of local BJP leaders.
"The self-confidence of local BJP is so poor that there are a lot of leaders from outside the state who are coming, many Chief Ministers are in Odisha, Union Ministers are in Odisha. All of them are campaigning against the BJD and the Chief Minister. The only thing is that they have all come to give a booster dose and boost the self-confidence of local BJP but that is not happening. None of the local BJP leaders are able to move out of their constituencies. CM has put Fevicol on them, they are not able to move because they are not sure whether they will win their own constituencies," he further said.
He took a jibe at BJP chief JP Nadda and said that he was no one to suggest whether CM Patnaik should continue working or take a rest.
He further said, "He is nobody to give rest to anyone. He can take a rest if he wants, he can go abroad, he can take a rest. People of Odisha have blessed Naveen Babu to work hard. In the last Panchayat elections, BJD won 30 out of 30 districts. If Naveen Babu is not working, how people will bless? In a democracy, one should respect, honour people's mandate. This time also Naveen Babu will come with a huge margin and answer these people's baseless, false allegations on which they thrive their political strategy."
The assembly and Lok Sabha polls in the BJD-ruled state are being held across four phases--from May 13 to June 1. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.
Polling for the first phase was conducted in 28 Assembly seats and four Lok Sabha constituencies on May 13. In the fifth phase, 35 Assembly seats and five Lok Sabha constituencies will vote on May 20, 42 Assembly segments and six Lok Sabha seats on May 25 and the remaining 42 Assembly seats and six Lok Sabha constituencies in the last phase on June 1. The results will be out on June 4.
In the last assembly elections in 2019, the BJD won 112 out of 146 seats, while the BJP had to settle for just 23 seats and the Congress finished at 9.
In the Lok Sabha elections in the same year, the BJD mopped up the lion's share of the electoral spoils, with the BJP and the Congress bringing up the rear. The BJD won 12 seats, the BJP finished a close second at 8, and the Congress bagged just a lone seat. (ANI)