Nadda takes dig at 'parties run from homes' while addressing Odisha cadres

In what seems to be a subtle dig aimed at Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik without naming him, BJP President J.P. Nadda on Tuesday highlighted the differences between 'parties run from home' and 'parties run from party offices', while inaugurating new party offices in six districts of Odisha -- Angul, Bargarh, Sundargarh, Baripada, Kyonjhar and Denkanal -- through a video conference.

"BJP offices are just not buildings or concrete structures, they are centres for BJP workers to get trained and inculcate values. In our offices, our workers get inspiration to work for the party dedicatedly and with passiona. When parties are run from homes rather than offices, they become parties run by families. But for the workers, party offices become their homes and fellow workers their family members," Nadda said.

He called it "unfortunate" that the Centre's Ayushman Bharat scheme was not allowed to be implemented in Odisha and thus "deprived crores of people of the state from the benefits of healthcare insurance schemes". He appealed to the Odisha government to immediately implement it.

Nadda said that in the Odisha Assembly elections, BJP's vote share went up from 18 per cent to 32 per cent, which clearly indicates that the BJP is "very close to its goal of forming the government in Odisha".

He also highlighted the Central developmental projects that are underway in the state, namely the 451 km long Digha-Gopalpur coastal highway, Korda-Bolangir new rail line and Cuttack-Angul-Sambalpur highway, among others.

Citing the recent Bihar elections and bypoll wins, Nadda claimed that it is a "clear verdict" for Narendra Modi. "The people of Bihar have spoken clearly that they want 'vikas raj' and not 'goonda raj'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had ended the politics of casteism, dynasty politics, and appeasement," the BJP President said.

Senior BJP leaders who were present at the function included Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Pratap Sarangi, BJP's National Vice President Vijayant Panda and its spokesperson Sambit Patra. - IANS