Vidarbha, its problems and now statehood are perennial bargaining chips in Maharashtra and as the Assembly election nears, politicians have hijacked the issue once again.
Statehood was never and is still not an issue as was evident when everyone who fought the LS elections on the statehood plank here lost both the election and their deposits!
But still, many senior leaders have managed to wangle tickets for the polls by screaming statehood.
Wins in this Congress bastion have always been crucial in catapulting the party to power in the state. Which explains why the party has a morbid fear that a separate Vidarbha could actually mean losing power in Maharashtra. As it is, the Congress has failed to include statehood in its present draft manifesto once again.