Bhubaneswar, July 19 : A crucial two-day meeting of the State Executive Committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) commenced in Puri on Friday, party sources said.

BJP President and Union Health Minister, J.P. Nadda, along with other senior party leaders took part in the meeting.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Union Ministers Jual Oram and Dharmendra Pradhan, Deputy Chief Ministers K.V. Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, party's regional in-charge Sunil Bansal, Odisha in-charge Vijaypal Singh Tomar and Ministers in the state government were present in the meeting.

This is the first executive committee meeting of the BJP after it formed the government in Odisha, ending the 25-year rule of the Biju Janata Dal government.

BJP sources said that this year is special as the meeting is being organised following the formation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government at the Centre for the third time and the BJP government under the leadership of Chief Minister Majhi in Odisha for the first time.

During his address to the party leaders, BJP President Nadda said that the party will work for the people of Odisha who helped the BJP form the government at the Centre for a consecutive third term.

The BJP President also thanked the people of Odisha and said they voted the party to power in the state.

"The people of Odisha have given you the power and responsibility to change Odisha's image and fate. I fully believe that the BJP government under the leadership of CM Mohan Majhi and through your actions will be able to transform the image and fate of Odisha," the BJP President told party leaders.

Taking a dig at the Congress, J.P. Nadda said the Union government was riddled with total policy paralysis, corruption and 'Parivarvad' before 2014.

He also mentioned the imposition of an Emergency by the Congress government in 1975.

BJP President Nadda alleged that 1.25 lakh people were put in jail during the Emergency.

The BJP President termed Congress as the 'Bhakshak' (destroyer) of the Constitution.

"The Congress party has no regard for the Constitution. Ask Naveen Babu, how the Congress party had jailed his father Biju Babu during the Emergency," Nadda said.

He said that Congress has no concern for tribal communities but pretends to fight for their rights.

/IANS