Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi “to attend his swearing-in ceremony after he is re-elected to power in the State”.

The Chief Minister extended the invitation while reacting to Mr. Modi’s attack on his government at a rally in Kendrapara on Tuesday. “Naveen Babu, aapka jana tay hai (Naveen Babu, your exit is certain),” Mr. Modi had said.

Addressing a public meeting in Balasore Lok Sabha constituency, Mr. Patnaik asserted that his party had secured adequate votes in the first three phases of polling to form the next government in the State.

“Prime Minister could not find time during natural disasters but visiting Odisha daily to seek votes. He told he will visit again after the exit of BJD Govt. People have already blessed us with majority in third phase itself & would like to cordially invite him for swearing in,” Mr. Patnaik said in a tweet.

Hectic campaigning

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari also campaigned for the BJP candidates in two Assembly segments – Basudevpur and Bhadaripokhari – under the Bhadrak Lok Sabha constituency, neighbouring Balasore in the north and Jajpur in the south.

“The way people have trusted the leadership of Modiji, I am confident that lotus will bloom in Odisha,” Mr. Gadkari said in a tweet after addressing a ‘Vijay Sankalp Sabha’ in the Basudevpur Assembly segment.

BJP campaigning

The BJP has added strength to its campaigning by engaging several senior party leaders. Mr. Modi addressed public meetings at Kendrapara and Balasore on Tuesday. BJP president Amit Shah is scheduled to address two public meetings in Mayurbhanj and Jajpur on April 27.

The polling is scheduled to be held in Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha constituencies in the fourth and last phase of polling in Odisha on April 29.