Trashing the Congress-NCP alliance in Maharashtra for its alleged failure on various fronts, BJP national president Amit Shah Thursday said the partners in the ruling combine were competing with each other to “loot” the state rather than taking it on the path of development. Speaking at the conclusion of the state-wide rally of Pankaja Palwe-Munde, BJP MLA and daughter of late Union minister Gopinath Munde, in Ahmedmagar district, Shah sounded the bugle for the party’s poll campaign, praising the BJP-ruled states and castigating the Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra. “Maharashtra, once upon a time, was a leading state in the country. But today it is lagging in industrial development, agriculture, irrigation techniques, rural development and power generation among other fronts,” he said, blaming the 15-year rule of Congress-NCP for the “downfall”. Shah said Maharashtra had witnessed 35,000 cases of farmer suicides during the Congress-NCP regime and was still facing the menace of load-shedding in many parts. He specifically mentioned NCP chief Sharad Pawar, blaming him and state ministers for spelling “doom” for the state. “Despite ruining Maharashtra, the Congress-NCP combine is dreaming to have another term. But people of Maharashtra should make their state Congress-free on the lines of the nation. October 15 (polling day) is the opportunity towards this, press the EVM button so strongly that even people from Italy would hear it,” he said, in an indirect attack on Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Touching upon the completion of 100 days of the Narendra Modi-led Union government, Shah, who is the former Gujarat home minister, said the country had witnessed a “lot of transformation” after the new government came to power. “The country, after many years, has seen a prime minister who actually talks and converses with people, who listens to the poor and distressed,” he said. Hailing leadership qualities of Pankaja Munde, Shah said she would become a crucial part of the campaigning in Maharashtra. BJP state unit chief Devendra Fadnavis and other senior and local leaders of the party were also present at the rally.
