As the Odisha Assembly and Lok Sabha Elections 2024 draw near, Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed a pointed challenge at Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during a rally in Kandhamal. Without referring to notes, PM Modi challenged Patnaik to recite the districts and their respective capitals of Odisha, questioning his connection with the state’s constituents if he couldn’t fulfil this basic task.
“I want to challenge ‘Naveen Babu’ as he has been the CM for such a long, ask ‘Naveen Babu’ to name the districts of Odisha and their respective capitals without seeing them on paper. If the CM cannot name the districts of the state, will he know your pain?” PM Modi asserted during the public address.
It’s worth noting that capitals are designated to states, not districts, in the Indian political framework.
The timing of PM Modi’s challenge coincides with the upcoming polls in Odisha, where four Lok Sabha constituencies and 28 Assembly constituencies are set to vote on May 13. This marks the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 and the inaugural phase of the Odisha Assembly Elections 2024. With Odisha possessing 21 Lok Sabha seats and 147 Assembly seats in total, the electoral stakes are high.
PM Modi’s focus on Patnaik comes amidst failed alliance talks between the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), indicating heightened political tension in the region.
In an earlier rally in Berhampur, PM Modi declared that the BJD government’s tenure in Odisha would conclude on June 4, asserting confidence in the BJP’s prospects to form a “double-engine government” post-election. PM Modi emphasized the importance of leadership grounded in Odia culture and tradition for addressing the state’s challenges effectively, further intensifying his critique of Naveen Patnaik.
