BJP national president Amit Shah kicked off his party’s campaign in Odisha on Tuesday by meeting more than 30,000 booth-level workers in four crucial parliamentary seats considered to be fort of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ahead of assembly and Lok Sabha elections later this year.

Shah, who in July 2017 started the Mo Booth Sabuthu Mazboot (My booth is the strongest) programme to expand the party’s footprints at the grassroots, held closed door meetings with workers in Salepur area of Cuttack.

Shah’s meeting will cover four Lok Sabha segments — Cuttack, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara. These four Lok Sabha seats have 28 assembly segments, said party spokesman Pitamber Acharya on Monday.

He later addressed a public meeting at Contai in West Bengal’s East Midnapore district.

Here are the highlights:

4:40 pm IST Will Mamata support Citizenship Bill: Shah I would like to ask Mamata ji if she will support the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Rajya Sabha or not. Tell that to the people of Bengal. They welcome infiltrators and Rohingyas but there’s no place here for refugees who came to save themselves: Amit Shah I would like to tell all refugees in Bengal that BJP and Narendra Modi govt will grant them citizenship: Amit Shah





4:37 pm IST Want more than 23 seats from Bengal: Shah I want to ask Mamata didi whether you will support the Citizenship Amendment Bill. I want more than 23 (Lok Sabha) seats (out of 42) from Bengal: Amit Shah





4:36 pm IST Centre’s money going to syndicates: Shah Do you want a govt of dealers or a govt of leaders? The Centre has given Rs 4 lakh crore to the Bengal govt. But did this money reach the villages? The money has gone to the syndicates: Amit Shah





4:34 pm IST Shah targets Congress and TMC on dynastic politics Amit Shah stings Congress and TMC on dynastic politics, says after Mamata, her nephew is waiting in the wings. During UPA rule you had seen 2G (scam), now there is Priyanka G: Amit Shah





4:32 pm IST In Bengal, one has to pay bribes to get any service: Shah In Bengal, one has to pay bribes to get any service — from birth certificates to admission in colleges, from getting jobs to old age pension: Amit Shah





4:30 pm IST Shah slams Mamata on refusal to fund Ayushman Bharat Amit Shah slams Mamata on refusal to fund Ayushman Bharat scheme. “She stopped funding it since she was afraid that it will encourage people to vote for Modi,” says Amit Shah.





4:28 pm IST If Durga and Saraswati puja are not held here, will they be held in Pakistan: Shah If Durga and Saraswati puja are not held here (Bengal), will they be held in Pakistan? BJP karyakartas will ensure that Saraswati Puja and Durga Visarjan is celebrated on a large scale: Amit Shah Mamata is changing names of schemes launched by the Prime Minister: Amit Shah





4:26 pm IST Will TMC be able to stop infiltration and cow smuggling: Shah Bengal has decided to go with Narendra Modi in 2014 and uproot the Mamata Banerjee government. Will TMC be able to stop infiltration and cow smuggling? If BJP comes in power, forget infiltrators, even a bird can’t cross the borders: Amit Shah Bangladeshi infiltrators have become the vote bank of TMC. Only Modi govt will be able to make Bengal free of infiltrators: Amit Shah





4:24 pm IST Will ponzi scheme operators get caught if CM is not changed: Shah Left had perpetuated poverty and unemployment. Mamata added syndicate to it. Mamata Banerjee’s paintings were bought by chit fund owners for crores of rupees. Will the ponzi scheme operators get caught if the chief minister is not changed? 2.5 million people lost their hard earned money in ponzi schemes: Amit Shah





4:22 pm IST Give BJP a chance: Shah You have given opportunities to Congress, Left and TMC. But did they do the state any good? Give BJP a chance: Amit Shah





4:20 pm IST Every fifth person in this state is below poverty line: Shah Every fifth person in this state is below poverty line. How many of the closed 55,000 factories did you restart Mamata didi: Amit Shah





4:17 pm IST More than 65 BJP workers were killed in Bengal: Shah More than 65 BJP workers were killed in Bengal. Counting will begin at 9 am, by 2 pm, Mamata Banerjee’s govt will be gone: Amit Shah





4:15 pm IST BJP will restore democracy in Bengal: Shah The ADM (additional district magistrate) of this district was transferred last night. Transfer whomsoever you want, BJP will restore democracy in Bengal: Amit Shah





4:10 pm IST Polls are an opportunity to turn Bengal into Sonar Bangla: Shah Polls are an opportunity to turn Bengal into Sonar Bangla (land of gold). We want a Bengal that will reverberate with Tagore’s songs and Chaitanya Mahaprobhu’s bhakti: Amit Shah





4:05 pm IST We have to change government in Bengal: Shah “We have to change the government in Bengal,” says Amit Shah as he remembers the supreme sacrifice of revolutionary Kshudiram Bose and Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.





4:00 pm IST Trinamool targeting BJP because we oppose Mamata’s corrupt rule: Shah The Trinamool government is targeting BJP workers because we are opposing Mamata’s corrupt rule. Bengal has decided to go with Narendra Modi in 2014 and uproot the Mamata Banerjee government: Amit Shah





3:48 pm IST Amit Shah arrives in Bengal to address public rally BJP president Amit Shah arrives at Contai railway station ground to address a public rally. This is the second election rally he is addressing after the one in Malda on Jan 22.





3:15 pm IST Amit Shah heads to Bengal Amit is now headed towards West Bengal where he will address a public meeting in Contai.





2:26 pm IST Odisha govt doesn’t know how to pursue development agenda: Amit Shah “Odisha has a Govt which does not know how to pursue development agenda. Odisha has rich mineral resources, highly skilled youth power, but development eludes. Naveen has failed in the last 19 years. BJP will give a Govt that would develop the State. We need 5 years”, said Amit Shah.





2:22 pm IST Congress, BJD two sides of the same coin: Amit Shah “Congress and BJD are two sides of the same coin. If either comes into, there is no way poverty will be eradicated from Odisha, they will not lead the state towards development,” said Amit Shah ion Odisha.





2:19 pm IST Congress can’t make a move like surgical strike in Pakistan: Amit Shah “When Pakistan attacked our soldiers in Uri, within 10 days PM Modi took action and ordered surgical strike into Pakistan so as to avenge the death of out martyred soldiers. It is only Modi government that can take such stringent action, Congress govt cannot ” said Amit Shah in Odisha.





2:18 pm IST BJP led govt contributed Rs 2,11,510 crore for Odisha’s development: Shah “Under the UPA government, the 13th Finance Commission gave only Rs. 79,000 crore to Odisha while, in the 14th Finance Commission, the BJP led government gave Rs 2,11,510 crore for the development of Odisha,” said Amit Shah.





2:17 pm IST An alliance with no leadership opposing BJP govt: Amit Shah “Mahagathbandhan of opposition parties devoid of leader, policy. How can they form strong Govt, asks Amit Shah at Odisha rally,” said Amit Shah.





2:15 pm IST Odisha govt fears Modi’s popularity: Amit Shah “Odisha government refused to join Ayushman Bharat as they fear that if this Yojana is implemented then PM Modi will become popular here,” said Amit Shah. “Poor people of Odisha are unable to benefit from the schemes of Central government because of narrow mindset of Odisha government,” he added.





2:10 pm IST PM Modi wants to make new India, new Odisha: Amit Shah “PM Modi wants to make new India, new Odisha. He wants Odisha to be clean and disease-free,” said Amit Shah. “Under the leadership of Modi ji, we are working for New Odisha. What is “New Odisha”? Where no one is unemployed, better medical facilities are available and no one is below the poverty line,” he added.





2:07 pm IST Provided over 50 crore people with health facilities: Amit Shah “Congress ruled for decades but poor did not get the basic amenities such as gas connections, electricity and medical facilities. In four and a half years, BJP government provided 50 crore people with health facilities, 8 crore people with toilets, and has helped over 2.5 crore people to construct their houses,” said Amit Shah in Kulia.





1:57 pm IST Amit Shah addresses Karyakarta Samabesh Amit Shah is addressing Karyakarta Samabesh, that is a meeting with booth level workers.





1:50 pm IST Anit Shah receives grand welcome BJP national president Amit Shah today received a grand welcome ahead of his address to Karyakarta Samabesh in Kulia.





1:33 pm IST Amit Shah reaches meeting venue Amit Shah has reached the meeting venue at Kulia in Salepur block of the Cuttack district where he will address booth level workers in a short while from now.





1:25 pm IST Amit Shah to address booth workers shortly BJP chief Amit Shah will shortly address booth workers in Odisha’s Cuttack.





11:30 am IST Amit Shah visits Madhusudan Das’ birthplace After garlanding Madhusudan Das’ statue, BJP national chief Amit Shah today visited his birthplace Satyabhamapur village.





11:10 am IST Amit Shah garlands statue of Utkal Gourab Madhusudan Das BJP national chief Amit Shah today garlanded the statue of Utkal Gourab Madhusudan Das in Cuttack.





10:50 am IST Shah to garland statue of Utkal Gourab Madhusudan Das BJP president Amit Shah will today garland the statue of Utkal Gourab Madhusudan Das in Satyabhamapur of Odisha’s Cuttack.



