Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday inaugurated the heritage corridor project of Maa Samaleswari Temple, the presiding deity of Sambalpur and western Odisha.

Rattled by the BJD’s move to consolidate its position in the western parts of the state, the BJP announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Sambalpur in the first week of February. While western Odisha is the bastion of the BJP, the BJD is trying to dislodge the BJP from its position.

Maa Samaleswari, located on the bank of river Mahanadi (the lifeline of Odisha), is deeply attached to the religious sentiment of western Odisha. Naveen, along with his close aide and Nabin Odisha chairman V.K. Pandian, went to Sambalpur to inaugurate the project. All measures were taken to ensure that the rich culture of western Odisha remained intact during the construction of the heritage corridor projects. Jagnyas were held and hymns were chanted during the inauguration.

The state government also declared Saturday as a holiday with all the official establishments and educational institutions remaining closed for the inauguration of the heritage corridor of the 16th-century Maa Samaleswari Temple.

According to BJP sources, the Prime Minister will visit Sambalpur on February 3 and address a rally. With this, the BJP will kickstart its campaign from Odisha. “We have been informed about the Prime Minister’s visit to Sambalpur on February 3. He will also inaugurate several projects including the new campus of IIM, Sambalpur. He is likely to address a rally," BJP MP Suresh Pujari told The Telegraph.

The BJP currently holds all five Lok Sabha seats in western Odisha, making it their stronghold.

After the inauguration of the Shreemandira Parikrama Prakalpa (Puri Jagannath Temple heritage corridor project) in Puri on February 17, this is the second biggest temple project that the Naveen Patnaik government has inaugurated. “The Naveen Patnaik government is consciously playing the temple card to ensure that the BJP does not take advantage of the hype generated by the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Even on the Pran Pratistha day (consecration ceremony), the BJD released a photo which showed Naveen watching the live telecast of the Pran Pratistha of Ram Lalla," said a senior scribe Ashutosh Mishra.

The state government has spent around Rs 200 crore for the development of the Samaleswari heritage corridor project under Samaleswari Temple Area Management and Local Economy Initiatives (SAMALEI) for the peripheral development of the area, improved amenities for devotees and Mahanadi riverfront development.