"BJP govt to take oath in Odisha on June 10 after PM Modi's oath-taking": Himanta Biswa Sarma
May 09, 2024
Ganjam (Odisha) [India], May 9 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take oath first after the Lok Sabha election results on June 4 and following that, the Bharatiya Janata Party government will take oath in Odisha on June 10.
"After 4th June, first, PM Modi will take oath. After that, the BJP government will take oath in Odisha on 10th June. All of us will be attending," Sarma said speaking to ANI on Thursday.
Speaking about Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader VK Pandian's claim that Naveen Patnaik will be sworn as the Chief Minister for the sixth time, Sarma said, "Pandian can say what he wants. He is in government. But it is most important to listen to what the public is saying. Is one person the voice of the public? Will you be listening to four crore people in Odisha or to one person?"
Assuring that the BJP will perform well in the Lok Sabha as well as the Assembly polls, the Assam Chief Minister said, "We will be winning around 18 to 20 seats in the Lok Sabha and will get good numbers in the Vidhan Sabha. We will be forming the government. I cannot say exactly whether we will be getting 100 or 120 seats in the Vidhan Sabha in one day. But we will certainly win more than 75 seats."
Rubbishing prospects of alliance with the BJD, Sarma said that he had indirectly told reporters during his last visit to the state that there would be no alliance between the two parties.
"When I came to Bhubaneswar three months back, I had told you that I would come for the swearing-in ceremony of the BJP. I told you last time that there won't be any alliance and we will be fighting on our own. I had told you indirectly," Sarma said.
Speaking about the candidates of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Odisha, Sarma said, "All the candidates of BJP are very good and are the followers of PM Modi, his 'Pariwar' (family). PM Modi's pariwar is good. So Naveen Patnaik is campaigning for the BJP. BJP is going to form its government in Odisha."
On the positive response shown by the people of Odisha to the BJP, Sarma said, "People have given a great response, they are very well aware of all the points mentioned in our manifesto. This is an indication that BJP is going to win in Odisha."
The state of Odisha will hold Assembly elections and Lok Sabha elections in four phases from May 13 to June 1, with vote counting scheduled for June 4.
In the 2019 Assembly election, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) won 112 out of 146 seats, while Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) won 23 seats and Congress won 9.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) won the majority of seats in the state. The BJD won 12 seats, the BJP finished a close second at 8, and the Congress bagged just a lone seat.