Bhubaneswar, May 17: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President J.P. Nadda on Thursday said the people of Odisha want a young and Odia-speaking chief minister.

He said that officials are running the government in Odisha while MLAs and MPs elected by the people have become powerless.

"It is difficult to comprehend what kind of government is functioning here. The officials are running the government while MPs and MLAs are sitting idle. They have no power and none listen to the MLAs and MPs who are elected by the people," J.P. Nadda said during an election meeting at Padampur in Bargarh constituency.

He said that the people of Odisha now want a chief minister who is young, a resident of Odisha, speaks Odia language and more active in addressing the concerns of the common person regularly.

"If you want a young CM, a CM of Odisha, an Odia-speaking CM and an active CM then press the button of lotus (BJP's symbol). A chief minister should be one who is born here, knows the culture and speaks the language. This is why it is the question of 'Swabhiman' of Odisha," the BJP president added.

J.P. Nadda also noted that politicians were earlier engaged in divisive politics in the country, but after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, the culture of politics changed, and now people are discussing the politics of development.

He said that India achieved significant development in the health, economic, manufacturing, petrochemical sectors, etc., under PM Modi's 10-year rule.

Targeting Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana, the flagship programme of the ruling BJD government in Odisha, J.P. Nadda said: "Naveen Babu (CM Naveen Patnaik) did not bother to implement Ayushman Bharat Yojana in Odisha and launched Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana in the state."

He said that around 68 lakh families in Odisha are deprived of the benefits provided under Ayushman Bharat Yojana.

He said Odisha has been subjected to a lot of torture.

"But the people of Odisha, who are peace-loving, won’t tolerate this anymore."

(IANS)

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