2019 Lok Sabha Election: Amit Shah's Odisha visit will not impact prospects of BJD, says Naveen Patnaik

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday said BJP president Amit Shah’s ongoing visit to the state will have no impact on the ruling BJD’s prospects in the 2019 state Assembly polls. [caption id=“attachment_3864629” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Naveen Patnaik. PTI[/caption] “I don’t see any impact,” Patnaik, president of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), told reporters in reply to a question. Responding to Shah's remark that those who had turned old were finding it difficult to come to terms with the BJP’s claim of winning more than 120 seats in the next polls, Patnaik, 70, said, “I didn’t know that Shah is doubting my age.” The BJP president who is on a three-day visit to the state had yesterday pitched for a younger leadership to run the state. Shah had told a press conference on Thrusday, “Some think it is impossible to get 120 seats. But we have a young leadership and therefore optimistic to win 120 seats in the next assembly elections in the state.” Shah, during this visit, has been highlighting BJP’s ‘ Mission 120+ ’ (to win over 120 seats in the Assembly polls). The BJD, however, expressed its “doubt” over the possibility of the BJP achieving the ‘120+’ target in the Assembly polls. “I doubt whether they will get so many seats in the next elections,” Patnaik had said just before Shah’s arrival to the state on Wednesday.