My interest as a regional party is to support, or try and support, whichever party fulfils the aspirations of Odisha.

My father did not groom us for politics. I took the plunge because I wanted to carry on his work in his constituency.

There is no question of any alliance with the Congress party. The Congress have always neglected the people of Odisha.

For cyclone-proof energy infrastructure, we would definitely explore all possibilities, including international support.

We prefer to be isolated in Odisha. That is a policy of equidistance, and going it alone has served us well in the past.

Centre supports Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in Polavaram and Mahanadi cases. They are sidelining the interests of Odisha.

History will remember the UPA-II government for its numerous scandals, scams, and corruption, probably the maximum number ever.

Personally, I have never considered myself corrupt or seen the need to be so. People are judged as what they are perceived to be.

Rising fuel prices, growing agrarian distress, and unemployment are the three major issues to dominate the 2019 general elections.

There is a great deal of reward when you do good work and people see how successful that work is and the happiness it brings to them.

If India is to lead the world, if India is to be an advanced nation like America and China, then women empowerment is the only answer.

The Beatles were here in the 1960s, with their wives, at the Maharshi's ashram. And they wanted my advice on various matters in India.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to the people of Bijepur Assembly constituency for having showered their blessings on the BJD.

I have inherited my father's responsibilities, not privileges. One of the members of his family had to continue his legacy of social responsibility.

People of our State know the commitment and sincerity with which my Government deals with issues concerning the State, including Left wing extremism.

Empowerment of women is the empowerment of the nation. No household, no society, no state, no country has ever moved forward without empowering its women.

The people of Gujarat were always more prosperous than most other states. It is the people of Gujarat who should be given credit for the development of Gujarat.

Why do politicians and bureaucrats get salaries and perks from the pockets of the poor and do nothing for them? So I took action against the corrupt and the lazy.

Aska is going to create history and show the way to the entire country by sending a member of women SHG to Parliament and four women members to the state assembly.

In the past, due to faulty economic policies like freight equalisation, resource-rich states like Odisha have suffered from the discriminatory policies of the Centre.

My father used to say that you haven't learnt anything about politics unless you've been out of power for at least 10 years. That's why I am certain I am here to stay.

Where is special category status? Where is women's reservation bill? Where is the farmers' insurance? Why did Odisha not receive any cooperation and help from the Centre?

Biju Babu lives in the hearts of millions of Oriyas. Our party has been named after him. People expect us to carry forward the unfinished task that Biju Babu has left for us.

I believe in constructive cooperation from the central government for any development and welfare schemes for Odisha. I want to work in cooperation with them for the development of the state.

The sari's radiance, vigor and variety, produced by a single straight length of cloth, should give us in the West pause and make us think twice about the zipper, the dart and the shoulder pad.

I don't have a problem with the Centre sanctioning funds to any state. However, when this is done for narrow political considerations, it damages the federal fabric mandated by the Constitution.

The opposition leaders are opportunistic seasonal birds. Where were they when Cyclone Phailin, Hudhud, Titli, and even drought hit Odisha? Now it's election time, they are swarming Odisha to seek votes.

I am happy to announce that to provide remunerative price to millets-growing farmers and to improve the nutritional security, state government will procure millets and utilize them in government schemes.

Vajpayeeji's time was a time of mutual respect and understanding, irrespective of how small or big a party you are. In fact, Vajpayeeji's handling of a coalition is something of a benchmark in world politics.

International carriers need to be given greater role in our skies on all routes like several other large countries to make our aviation industry more efficient and competitive and prevent arbitrary pricing by monopolies.

My government's pro-women initiatives, starting from Mission Shakti to Mamata, along with 50% reservations for women in the panchayat and urban local body polls have helped empower women in political, social, and economic spheres.

After 2014, a number of my friends from Delhi rang up very concerned because they thought I was in bad health. But my health has always been good, and I told them so. They told me that this is what Baijayant Panda was spreading. This was a shock.

As far as natural calamities are concerned, Odisha had a very bad reputation before 2000 when we took over the government. After that, we have achieved international standards as far as controlling the effects of natural calamities. In fact, even the United Nations have complimented us on this.

Odisha faces natural calamities almost every year. The assistance we get from the Centre is mostly for temporary restoration of infrastructure. We have to spend a lot from state's own funds to work for the long-term. This puts too much stress on our finances. Precisely for this reason, Odisha should be considered for special category status.

During the launch of the 'Ama Gaon, Ama Bikash' scheme, I directly spoke to women representatives from the interior villages of Sambalpur and Narayanpatna. From the way the women explained the issues pertaining to their villages and their collective needs, I understood that women empowerment has reached even the grassroots of the democratic setup.

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