"Girls are our pride," Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Saturday said after slain Odisha minister Naba Kishore Das’ 26-year-old daughter won the Jharsuguda by-poll by a large margin.
Patnaik joined in the celebrations over the victory at 'Sankha Bhavan', the BJD headquarters here, and targeted the opposition, particularly BJP accusing it of insulting “our daughters”.
The opposition parties had insulted both Barsha Singh Bariha who won the Padampur by-election and also spoke ill about Dipali Das, who won in Jharsuguda, he said.
“Girls are our pride ... As the people of Odisha do not tolerate disrespect to women, they (BJP) lost the elections in both the seats,” Patnaik said.
The two women candidates had contested the by-poll after losing their fathers, who were lawmakers of the two constituencies.
Claiming that BJD has all along encouraged women in public life through its 'Misson Shakti' programme, the chief minister said that they are not confined to their houses but have become decision-makers in their homes and villages now.
“While opposition parties are against women empowerment, the state government’s Mission Shakti has strengthened them. Opposing women's empowerment and insulting them is a dangerous trend,” Patnaik said.
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The victory in the Jharsuguda by-poll is the victory of its people and women empowerment, Patnaik said adding that he is grateful to them for reposing faith in BJD once again.
He also appreciated the tireless efforts of the party workers in extreme heat to ensure the victory of Dipali.
Dipali with her win has become the youngest woman MLA in the state. She is an MBA from EU Business School in Barcelona.
She defeated Tankadhar Tripathy of the BJP by a margin of 48,721 on Saturday.
Dipali, who joined the meeting over video conferencing said after her win, “My father was a tiger and I am a tiger cub.”
She expressed her gratitude to Patnaik for reposing his confidence in her and nominating her to contest the by-election.
Reacting to Pataik’s statement, BJP Odisha president Manmohan Samal said the number of atrocities against women and rapes was the highest in Odisha.
"The chief minister is talking of women empowerment just to cover up bad governance in the state," he added.
