Odisha BJP rejoices over verdict

| | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar

Even though the BJP might have fallen short of the majority mark in the Karnataka Assembly elections, its emergence as the single-largest party leaving the Congress far behind elated Odisha BJP leaders and workers and they celebrated the occasion at the party headquarters here on Tuesday.

The party workers shouted slogans, danced to music waving the party flags and distributed sweets. Jubilant party leaders asserted that the party’s Karnataka win would have an impact on the people of Odisha during the 2019 general elections.

Party leader Pratap Sarangi said Odisha has also previously seen the BJP’s poll victories in Goa, Manipur, Tripura and many other States. The people of Odisha would definitely vote for the development agenda of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said.

But the BJD and the Congress said the Karnataka verdict won’t have any effect in Odisha.BJD vice-president and Minister Surjya Narayan Patro said, “There will be no impact on Odisha. People of Odisha have four times elected Naveen Patnaik and will again give the BJD another opportunity to rule the State in the forthcoming elections,” he asserted

Similarly, Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik said       that due to the anti-incumbency factor the Congress got less seats in Karnataka. “The Karnataka results won’t have any impact here,” he remarked.