Bhubaneswar, Jul 20 (IANS): BJP President and Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda said on Friday that the party achieved a historic milestone in Odisha by winning 78 Assembly seats and securing 40.8 per cent votes in the recent polls, which reflects the trust placed in the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the people of the state.
Addressing the party workers and leaders during the two-day BJP state executive committee meeting in Puri on Friday, Nadda said the party under the leadership of PM Modi and due to the blessings of the people of Odisha achieved grand success in the 2024 elections.
He also extended his gratitude to every party worker in Odisha for their contributions in ensuring the BJP's victory in the recently concluded elections.
“Each BJP karyakarta will strive to serve the people of Odisha with the blessings of Lord Jagannath, fostering their development and guiding them along the path of progress,” he said.
The BJP chief also highlighted the support the BJP managed to secure from the tribal communities and voters belonging to Scheduled Castes, stating that the BJP has 18 MLAs from tribal communities and that the party is committed to their development and integration into the mainstream.
“BJP has the highest number of MLAs in Odisha from the Scheduled Caste community, underscoring their inclusive representation. The BJP in Odisha will actively propel the Adivasi community and Scheduled Castes forward, leaving no gaps in bringing them into the mainstream,” Nadda said.
He also pointed out that after six decades, PM Modi has become the first person to hold the position of Prime Minister for a third term.
“When Jawaharlal Nehru secured his third term as the Prime Minister, there was a resurgence of enthusiasm and support for the Congress following the Independence struggle, leading to their victory with minimal opposition. However, after 60 years, with full strength and determination, Narendra Modi has achieved victory for the third term as the Prime Minister,” Nadda said.
He added that the BJP is the only ‘pan-India party’ in the country with its presence in North, South, East, West, Northeast and Central India.
"The NDA governs 18 states and the BJP alone is ruling 13 states in the country. Over 58 per cent of India's area and more than 57 per cent of its population are under BJP's administration," Nadda said.
The BJP chief also said that even if all the parties in the opposition INDI alliance combine their seats, they still cannot match the BJP's numbers.
Terming the Congress a 'parasite party', Nadda said the party has won in states where it allied with other parties, like a parasite.
The BJP President also said that the Congress and the INDI alliance are not the defenders but destroyers of the Constitution.
He targeted Congress for imposing the Emergency in the country and arresting 1.25 lakh persons, including 75,000 persons affiliated to the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and the RSS, in 1975.
“Now, Lalu Prasad Yadav is allied with Rahul Gandhi, whose grandmother was responsible for his imprisonment under MISA during the Emergency,” Nadda said.
He also said that the BJP is the only cadre-based party with 18 crore members, compared to the Communist Party of China which has 9 crore members.