‘Maharashtra is Bihar of ’90s’

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LKAdvani has equated Maharashtra with “the Bihar of the 1990s”. Advani made his first public appearance after his party went through a leadership crisis after its Lok Sabha debacle at an election rally in Pimpri, Pune, reports Yogesh Joshi.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani has equated Maharashtra with “the Bihar of the 1990s”.

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Advani made his first public appearance after his party went through a leadership crisis after its Lok Sabha debacle at an election rally in Pimpri, Pune on Wednesday.

“Corruption, price rise and power cuts have made Maharashtra like the Bihar of the 1990s,” said Advani in his speech in support of local Shiv Sena-BJP candidates contesting the October 13 Assembly elections. “The Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) government has taken the state backward.”

Advani said that while when Maharashtra is facing 18 hours of power cuts, neighbouring Gujarat has surplus electricity.

“The only record of this government is no generation of electricity and farmers’ suicides,” he said.

Advani preferred talking about development rather than Hindutva. He criticised the NCP-Congress government for lack of development focusing on the failures of the ruling combine during his 20-minute speech.

The leader, however, did not talk about any party matters like the expulsion of former external affairs minister Jaswant Singh from the party.

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in an appeal issued to voters of Maharashtra, said, “In the last 10 years, life has become unsafe in Maharashtra. Law and order is in disarray. Farmers are committing suicide.”

The BJP issued an appeal from the ailing Vajpayee who expressed regret that he could not campaign. He urged the people of Maharashtra to vote for the saffron alliance to build a “new Maharashtra”.