Odisha BJP upbeat about Amit Shah's visit

Bhubaneswar, Jan 4 (IANS) The Odisha BJP is hoping that party president Amit Shah's visit to the state from Jan 6 will revitalise and strengthen its position after the drubbing it received in the assembly and general elections, state party leaders say.

The party leaders believe that Shah's two-day visit to the state would boost the party workers' morale.

Even though the BJP's vote percentage increased to 21.5 percent in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from 16.89 percent in 2009, the party managed to secure only one seat out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

It has 10 members in the 147-seat Odisha assembly.

During his two-day visit to the state, Shah will address a public meeting and hold several meetings with party leaders to chalk out programmes to strengthen the party's organisational base in the state.

With Shah aiming to strengthen the party's presence in seven states, including Odisha, he would prepare strategies with senior state leaders to take on the ruling BJD government and spur the ongoing membership drive.

The state wing has set a target of enrolling 40 lakh members in the next six years.

Shah's visit to Odisha assumes significance as the state wing is struggling to strengthen its organisational base.

"Shah's visit will be a morale booster for the party workers in taking up more aggressively the issues against the Odisha government. We will also discuss the present political situation in the state during the interaction with the national president," said BJP spokesperson Sajjan Sharma.

With the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) struggling for an image makeover after the unfolding of several scams, including chit fund and land grabbing scams, the BJP hopes that Shah will take on the government at his public meeting.

Later, the party will raise the issues against the BJD government more aggressively to reach out to the people.

BJP has decided to launch 'Mahasangram' against the "misrule of the BJD government" across the state at Shah's public meeting.

"We will reach out to the people against the BJD government which is mired in scams and corruption. We will also raise the issues of chit fund, mining and land scams during the Mahasangram campaign," said senior BJP leader Bijay Mohapatra.