Amidst the prevailing heat wave, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday undertook his maiden campaign trail for the upcoming simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha elections and exuded confidence of emerging victorious in the twin polls.

“Our (BJD’S) victory march will continue. The double conch (the regional party’s symbol) is a symbol of development. The decade (2024 to 2034) will be the decade of Odisha. Peace, prosperity and empowerment will be identity”, Patnaik said.

Promising plans for a youth budget with a focus on industrial investment, employment generation, and skill development, Patnaik, who addressed poll rallies in Hinjili assembly constituency in his home district of Ganjam, dwelt upon a 10-year development plan with a strong emphasis on empowering the youth.

The next decade, from 2024 to 2034 will be a golden era for the youths of the State. The BJD-led Government, if voted back to power, will lay additional focus on industrial investment, employment generation, and skill development, he said addressing the rallies.

The State will complete 100 years of being an independent State in 2036. It will emerge as the number one State in the country. Peace, prosperity and empowerment will be our identity, added Patnaik.

Taking a dig at the Opposition, Patnaik charged that they (opposition parties) are indulging politics in every matter and are opposed to the development ushered in by the State Government.

They (Opposition) are busy in self-publicity. People are very much aware of the anti-development attitude of opposition parties be it Shree Mandir Parikrama Prakalpa or Ekamra Project and they know the real character of opposition. Nobody has ever succeeded by opposing development, he said.

Odisha is going to simultaneous polls for the 147 Assembly and 21 Lok Sabha seats on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) with 12 seats bagged the maximum number of seats, followed by the BJP (8) and the Congress (1).

In the last assembly election, held simultaneously with the general election in 2019, the BJD had recorded thumping electoral success winning 113 of the 147 seats. The BJP stood at distant second with 23 seats, followed by the Congress with 9. The CPM won one seat and another was won by an Independent.

The poll campaigning has so far been dull and drab as the State is currently experiencing heat wave constantly hovering over the 40 degree Celsius mark at majority places in the State. With people preferring indoor safety to escape from grueling heat, the poll fever is yet to catch up in most parts of the State. In fact, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is the first big face to hit the campaign trail.