Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Friday asserted that he is in “very good health” and campaigning in the elections for the Lok Sabha and Assembly all over the state. His statement followed comments of BJP president JP Nadda and other party leaders that Patnaik should be given rest in the wake of his health and old age.
“There is a limit to the amount of lies the BJP can tell people. As you can see, I am in very good health and have been campaigning all over the state for months,” said 77-year-old Patnaik. Some BJP leaders had also alleged that Patnaik was using artificial intelligence in his video messages. Responding to the charges, the BJD president asked the saffron party leaders to use their own intelligence.
Patnaik's close aide and bureaucrat-turned-BJD leader VK Pandian said the comments are “very unfortunate, below the belt”. He claimed that the people of Odisha would not appreciate demeaning of the “popular” chief minister. Meanwhile, during a media briefing, Pandian claimed that the BJD will get a comfortable majority after the third round of polling to the Odisha Assembly to be held on Saturday.
“The fourth round of polling (on June 1) will improve the margin,” he asserted. Pandian also claimed that since the state BJP leaders are confined to their constituencies, national leaders of the party are campaigning for them. “By abusing the CM, they are only helping BJD improve its vote share. We are a mature democracy and one should know where to draw the lines. Just for votes, you cannot demean great leaders. History will not forgive them,” he said.
Asked about the BJP's claim to form the government in the state, Pandian claimed that the saffron party is eyeing only 30 of the 147 Assembly seats.