'It'll be a vote for politics of performance'

Donning traditional dhoti-punjabi to counter Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's lungi-clad video message, which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claims is not Odia culture, Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship DHARMENDRA PRADHAN says this election is all about fighting for Odia Ashmita (pride).

In a conversation with Ramani Ranjan Mohapatra in Sambalpur, from where he is contesting, Pradhan speaks about the National Democratic Alliance securing over 400 seats, the Narendra Modi government's alternative energy initiatives, and unemployment issue. Edited excerpts:

What are the issues deciding the elections this time around?

 There is a clear signal that the Modi government will secure a third consecutive term, this time with over 400 seats. In Odisha, the Prime Minister's popularity is more than 90 per cent. In 2019, the BJP won eight of the 21 seats in Odisha. We are winning all 21 seats this time. The Modi government has allocated 18 trillion to Odisha between 2014 and 2024, against the ₹3 trillion sanctioned by the Congress-led government in the previous decade.

A record 3.4 million houses have been built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna in Odisha. Significant funds have been allocated for railways, airports, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Covid management, and the free rice scheme. For the Assembly elections, we created our voter base in 2019. Despite ruling Odisha for 24 years with huge mandates, the Patnaik government has failed in five key areas ― health, education, agriculture, migration, and women's security.