By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, September 8, 2017: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah on Friday gave a clarion call to the party workers in Odisha to dethrone the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government for failing to develop the state in the last 17 years of its governance.

“(Chief Minister) Naveen Patnaik is a burnt transformer while (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi is a powerhouse. If the transformer could not provide electricity from the grid to people, don’t just replace the transformer, uproot and throw it out,” Shah said while addressing the party workers here.

During the 17 years of BJD rule, Patnaik has failed miserably on several fronts and not been able to usher in development in Odisha, Shah claimed.

“Corruption is rampant under the Naveen government. Those indulged in corrupt practices will be sent to jail after BJP comes to power in 2019,” Shah said and cited the Chit Fund scam in the state.

Accusing the state government of not cooperating with the Modi government to carry out development works in the state, he asked Patnaik to give an account of the central funds provided to Odisha.

“Naveen baboo is seeing ‘lotus’ in his dream after BJP’s spectacular performance in the last Panchayat polls in the state”, Shah said mocking at the former’s failure to speak Odia even after ruling the state since last 17 years.

However, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said Amit Shah’s visit would not have any impact on the BJD’s prospects in the 2019 assembly polls.

“I don’t see any impact,” Patnaik told reporters here.

Responding to Shah’s remark that those who had grown old were finding it difficult to accept the BJP’s claim of winning more than 120 seats of the 147 seats in the next polls, Patnaik said: “I don’t know what he (Shah) is doubting of my age.”

He also reiterated his ‘doubt’ over the chances of BJP achieving the ‘120+’ target in the general elections in Odisha.

“I doubt whether they will get so many seats in the next elections,” Patnaik said.

Shah was on a three-day visit to Odisha to strengthen the party’s base and strategise to achieve 120+ seats in the state assembly in the 2019 polls.