Bhubaneswar, May 27 (PTI) Boosting the momentum of the saffron party's election drive for the final phase of elections on June 1, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stirred the political pot on Monday by questioning the public about the potential prime ministerial candidate of the BJD.

Pradhan posed this query across all seven rallies he graced during the day.

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Following the conclusion of his own electoral bid on May 25 for Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat, Pradhan took to the podium on Monday, addressing gatherings in Badasahi, Nilgiri, Simulia, Bari, Dhamnagar, and Balasore, all slated for polls on June 1.

In his fervent appeal to the electorate, Pradhan urged them to cast their votes for BJP candidates and prodded the people to ponder upon who might emerge as the BJD's prime ministerial nominee.

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He elucidated to the audience that backing BJP candidates would invariably result in Modi assuming office as Prime Minister. Conversely, he warned that voting for BJD candidates offered no assurance regarding the prime ministerial berth.

"Hence, I request you to endorse the lotus symbol to elect Modi as Prime Minister, steering India towards prosperity," he said.

Pradhan's enquiry mirrors the ruling BJD's similar probe regarding the BJP's chief ministerial aspirant in Odisha.

Throughout the campaign, the BJD has consistently questioned the public about the BJP's choice for chief minister in the state.

BJD leader VK Pandian even suggested in a recent interview that the BJP's vote share would plummet below 10 per cent if they disclosed their CM candidate's name.

Odisha is concurrently conducting elections in four phases for both the Lok Sabha and Assembly.

Pradhan also launched a scathing attack on the 24-year-old BJD government, mocking its failure to provide safe drinking water statewide.

"Prime Minister Modi allocated Rs 10,000 crore to provide piped water to the people of Odisha. However, the state government faltered as external contractors misappropriated the funds," alleged Pradhan.

He further questioned the inadequate irrigation infrastructure and the scarcity of teachers in schools and doctors in hospitals statewide.

"What has the BJD government accomplished in the past 24 years if basic necessities like drinking water, irrigation, education, and healthcare remain unaddressed?" he challenged.

Addressing audiences in all seven rallies, the Union Minister implored citizens to unseat the incumbent BJD government to usher in a double engine of growth in Odisha. He asserted that the state's progress would accelerate with BJP governance at both state and central levels.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)