Though elections to the Assembly are less than three months away, the BJP high command seems reluctant to name anyone to lead the party in the State.

This was evident from BJP president Amit Shah’s statement at the party’s Salepur rally on Tuesday where he appealed to people to give the BJP a chance to rule the State.

Shah said, “Just give five years to Narendra Modi who will make Odisha the number one State in the country." He did not name any State leader to lead the party in the polls.

Though Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has virtually been leading the party in the State, Shah did not refer to him as the leader to provide good governance in a “New Odisha”.

Notably, Pradhan has been calling shots in the State even though Nuapada MLA Basant Panda is the State party president. Though a Central Cabinet-rank Minister, Pradhan has been spending more of his time in the State than elsewhere campaigning that the BJP will prove to be an effective alternative to the Naveen Patnaik-headed BJD.

Shah too did not name Basant Panda to lead the party. He rather took Modi’s name several times by giving an impression that people would only vote in the latter’s favour.

BJP workers appear to be confused as to who will lead the party if it comes to power. Political observers also feel that the party may not get maximum electoral advantage if it does not name anyone to lead the State. Let the high command specify whether the leader is Dharmendra Pradhan, Jual Oram, Basant Panda, KV Singh Deo or Pratap Sarangi.

The voters should be aware about the BJP leader in the state before going to vote the party.