BJP leader warns officials against acting as BJD agents

Sambalpur: BJP’s national general secretary and Odisha in-charge, Arun Singh, on Tuesday asked government officials to refrain from working like ‘agents of BJD’.
Addressing a press conference here, Singh said, while many government officials were working for free and fair elections, some officials were acting like agents of BJD. “They are trying to intimidate BJP workers,” he said. “The BJP is going to form government here. The party is keeping tabs on officials who have been working like BJD’s agents. We appeal to them to refrain from such activities and work for free and fair elections,” he added.

He further said BJD was nervous as four sitting MPs and around 35 MLAs, former MLAs and former MPs of the party had joined the saffron party. “Some more will join us soon. The BJP will certainly achieve the 120+ Mission and win in all the 21 parliamentary constituencies,” he added.

Speaking on the Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency, Singh said the BJD’s MP candidate, Nalinikanta Pradhan, had indulged in corruption. “Many bridges collapsed while he was the secretary of the works department. We have nominated Nitesh Ganga Deb for his clean image. He is a three-time MLA but there is no corruption allegation against him,” he added.

Hitting out at BJD for increasing the length of the under-construction flyover in Sambalpur city, Singh said, “The length has been increased to inflate the estimated budget of the project. Inflation will lead to easy embezzlement of funds.” The decision to increase the length was taken when Pradhan was secretary of the works department.