Bhubaneswar, May 8 (IANS): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win all 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha this time.
The Union Minister addressed two public meetings in Kalahandi and Rayagada districts on Wednesday.
Rajnath Singh urged the voters to elect BJP candidates contesting in Koraput and Kalahandi Lok Sabha constituencies and the Assembly segments under these constituencies.
The BJP has fielded Malavika Keshari Deo and Kaleram Majhi in Kalahandi and Koraput Lok Sabha seats. Polling is going to be held in Koraput and Kalahandi Lok Sabha seats on May 13.
"I feel the situation in Odisha has changed a lot this time. Earlier, when we used to ask people as to how many seats BJP would win. They used to predict eight to ten seats for the BJP in Odisha. But, upon being asked the same question today, every citizen of Odisha is now saying that the BJP is going to win all the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha," Rajnath Singh stated.
The Defence Minister said that every citizen of India should get a pucca house, piped drinking water, toilet facilities, LPG cylinders and all these facilities have been provided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time since Independence.
"We will provide all these facilities to the brothers and sisters of Odisha, who have not received it yet due to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government, in the next five years as you are going to elect a BJP government here," Rajnath Singh said.
The senior BJP leader also targeted the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government in Odisha over the non-implementation of Ayushman Bharat scheme in the state. Rajnath Singh assured that the scheme will be implemented in Odisha after the formation of the BJP government in Odisha and at the Centre.
"The BJP is the only political party in India that does what it promises. The leaders of BJD and Congress have given you many assurances but had they fulfilled the assurances, even partly, then Odisha would have been a rich state, not a poor one," Rajnath Singh said.
The Union Minister further said that the BJP removed Article 370, ensured the construction of Ram Temple at Ayodhya, and ended the triple talaq system as promised. Taking a dig at the Congress, Rajnath Singh said that corruption increased manifold whenever the grand old party came to power despite their assurances to end corruption in the country.
Rajnath Singh said that only PM Modi had succeeded in ending corruption in India through 'Trimurti', the amalgamation of Jan Dhan account, Aadhaar and mobile phone.
The Defence Minister said that the image of India improved on the global platform under the BJP's rule.
He gave the example of the successful rescue of 22,000 students in Ukraine following the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Rajnath Singh also mentioned that following PM Modi’s request, scientists of our country produced the vaccine against coronavirus.
"India was at the 11th position in the world in terms of economic power during the ten year rule of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. However, India jumped to fifth spot from 11th position in the world after eight years of PM Modi's rule. The great economists of the world are now predicting that India will be the third-largest economy after the US and China by 2027," Rajnath Singh said.
The Home Minister claimed that the BJP government had given the utmost priority and respect to the tribals and it took the decision to celebrate Birsa Munda's birth anniversary across the country, not only in Jharkhand and Odisha.