Outlook interviewed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as he hit the campaign trail in Odisha's Sambalpur constituency. Pradhan is contesting the Lok Sabha elections after over a decade and is leading BJP's push for wresting the state from BJD's five-time CM Navin Patnaik. Pradhan said that the state government had been handed over to a proxy (hinting at Patnaik's aid VK Pandian) and the BJD had failed to resolve key problems of the state. He claimed that the BJP would win all 21 parliamentary seats in Odisha and form the state government.