Pradhan will fight against Patnaik in 2019 Odisha polls

Bhubaneswar: Putting all speculations to rest over the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate in the upcoming 2019 Odisha Assembly polls, Union minister Jual Oram on Tuesday said that Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan would lead the party as the party’s CM nominee.

Stating that BJP’s main aim in the ensuing elections would be to oust the Patnaik-led BJD government in Odisha, Mr Oram said that the party would fight under the leadership of Mr Pradhan and was very much confident of achieving its “Mission 120” target for the Odisha elections 2019.

BJP chief Amit Shah had earlier set a target of winning more than 120 of the 147 Assembly seats in Odisha. He has also laid out an elaborated organisational plans for the party in the state.

However, expressing hopes to return to power for a fifth time, BJD chief and CM Naveen Patnaik has dismissed Mr Shah’s claims and said, “I doubt very much whether they (BJP) will get so many seats.”