Months after lauding Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as a Lokpriya Mukshyamantri (popular CM) in a pre-poll public meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a broadside against the regional party satrap questioning Patnaik’s lack of grip over governance and administration, claiming that the “CM can not name districts and their headquarters without reading from a text”.

Stepping up attack on the BJD government and CM Patnaik, Modi predicted the imminent downfall of the Patnaik-led government, saying that the “countdown for bidding goodbye to the BJD government has begun and the whole state seeks for a change in the form of formation of double-engine government (BJP-led government in the State and Centre) in Odisha.

Addressing a poll rally at Kandhamal parliamentary constituency, Modi mocked Patnaik, saying: “Patnaik cannot name districts and their headquarters without reading from paper from a public platform. Can the CM gauge people’s distress who cannot even name districts without paper? Can you trust him for the children’s future?”

Patnaik, serving the state as CM from 2000 till date, has often faced Opposition’s criticism for inability on his part to speak Oriya and read out Roman scripts to speak Odia in official meetings and poll rallies. His odd pronunciation of places is also ridiculed by the Opposition and social media platforms. During his 24-year-old stint as the CM, Patnaik was rarely seen delivering extempore speeches.

“Odisha is rich in resources but its people are languishing in poverty. How long will Odisha tolerate this? Odia asmita (pride) can’t be mortgaged. The BJP will help the state get out of the grip of poverty.

Give BJP an opportunity for five years. Odisha will prosper as the number one State. I was the CM of Gujarat. Odisha has resources 100 times more than that of Gujarat. Odisha lags behind while Gujarat marches ahead. Odisha is rich in mineral resources while Gujarat does not have anything, except salt. Odisha has the potential to become the number one state,” Modi reiterated.

He reminded the people that June 4 is the expiry date of BJD in Odisha and a BJP CM, who was born and brought up in the state, will be sworn in on 10 June.

Insinuating towards V K Pandian (Patnaik’s close aide, second in command of BJD), Modi sharpened his attack on CM Patnaik and alleged that “the entire Odisha government had been outsourced to a person who does not have an understanding of the state and its people. There is a Super Chief Minister who exerts authority over the democratically elected CM and MLAs.”

Raising the Odia Ashmita (pride) plank, Modi said: “The person who is connected to the soil of Odisha should become its CM. People should come forward and become stakeholders in the establishment of BJP government in Odisha and ensure BJP secures more than 400 seats in Lok Sabha.”

The PM also raised the emotive missing key episode of Ratna Bhandar (treasury) of the 12th century Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri.

Expressing surprise over the inventory of precious items not done in last 40 years, Modi committed that “the first thing we will do after the BJP government comes to power in Odisha is to open the Ratna Bhandar and list out valuable jewellery”.

Priceless gold jewellery, gems, pearls, and rare diamonds apart from silver and other decorative items of the temple’s three presiding deities- Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra – are reported to have been treasured in the Ratna Bhandar. All these treasures have poured in from devotees from various parts of the country as tokens of reverence to Lord Jagannath.

Dubbing the Patnaik-led government as corrupt, Modi charged that BJD leaders have become owners of bungalows and vehicles while youths here are forced to migrate in search of bread and butter. This migration of people needs to be stopped,” Modi remarked.