BJP leaders shedding crocodile tears ahead of polls, says Naveen Patnaik

Naveen Patnaik. File pic

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday accused BJP leaders of "spreading lies and shedding crocodile tears" ahead of elections, reported news agency PTI.

Simultaneous elections to 21 Lok Sabha seats and 147 assembly segments in Odisha will begin on Monday and continue till the last phase on June 1.

The BJD supremo's remark came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in election rallies in the state on Saturday, lashed out at Patnaik's government, accusing it of misrule and failing to develop the state during his 24-year rule, reported PTI.

Addressing an election rally in Kantabanji assembly seat, from where he is contesting the elections, Patnaik said, "BJP leaders are shedding crocodile tears and spreading lies ahead of the polls." Patnaik asked the gathering, "Apana mane khusi ta?" (are you happy?), with the crowd responding with a "yes", reported PTI.

The chief minister made his speech in Odia after Modi accused him of not being able to speak the language without a written note. Patnaik also sought feedback from people on different welfare schemes implemented by his government. He addressed two rallies in Kantabanji assembly segment in Bolangir Lok Sabha seat. In another public meeting in Bolangir, he appealed to people "not to get swayed by lies and crocodile tears of BJP leaders", reported PTI.

Patnaik's close aide V K Pandian, who accompanied him to the election rallies, asserted that with people's blessings, the CM would win from Kantabanji by a record margin.

On the PM's announcement that the MSP on paddy would be increased to Rs 3,100 per quintal, Pandian said, "He remembers farmers only before polls. When farmers staged an agitation in Delhi or died by suicide, he did not remember them." Pandian, a BJD leader, said that the CM, in the first cabinet meeting "after returning to power", would approve the decision to provide 100 units of free electricity to the poor every month from July, while alleging that the BJP leaders were "showing lantern to people in the daytime", reported PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)