Naveen Patnaik is like a 'defunct transformer': Shah

Bhubaneswar: BJP president Amit Shah on Friday described Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as a "defunct transformer" and said the people of the state should replace the BJD government for overall development of the state.

"Narendra Modi is like a power house and supplies huge funds to the state. But Naveen Babu is like a defunct transformer because of which people of the state are deprived of development," Shah said at a BJP workers' meet on the third and last day of his visit to Odisha.

"As we change a defunct transformer to get better electricity, the people of Odisha should also replace the BJD government for overall development of the state. Odisha has every right to progress and this is not possible till Naveen Patnaik is at the helm," he said and asked the partymen to take the message to each "doorstep in the state".

Claiming that the people of Odisha want change, Shah said the recent three-tier panchayat election was a glaring example of BJP's growing popularity in the state.

"The BJP could get about 33 per cent of votes in the rural polls. Therefore, there is every possibility of the party making further progress in 2019 assembly elections," the BJP president said.