MUMBAI: Under fire from opponents for alleged double-speak on Vidarbha statehood demand, Maharashtra BJP president Devendra Fadnavis has said the issue has never been a part of their manifesto, as creation of states is under the Centre's jurisdiction.
"Our party's central manifesto has a mention of creation of smaller states to be good administrative models. We believe in creating states and not bifurcating them. Maharashtra BJP has never put the statehood of Vidarbha in the manifesto
because creating new states is the job of the central government," Fadnavis told PTI.
The state BJP manifesto has come in for criticism from rival parties for ignoring the issue of statehood to Vidarbha, when some party leaders from the region have been campaigning in favour of it.
"The previous NDA government created three states and they have progressed well and have good relations with their parent states, whereas Congress bifurcated Andhra Pradesh creating tension between Telangana and Andhra," he said.
Asserting that the BJP will get majority in the October 15 Maharashtra Assembly polls, Fadnavis said there is no question of a post-poll realignment because his party would not require anyone to form the next government.
"We don't have a plan B because our plan A will be a success. BJP will be the single largest party," he said.
The difference between previous Assembly polls and the one to be held now is that BJP has been able to reach out to 50 lakh voters through different mediums as compared to about 10 to 12 lakh through rallies earlier.
"To get a majority over the other four parties, we need to get one crore votes," he said.
Fadnavis rejected criticism that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was ignoring his official duties to campaign in the Assembly polls.
"Modi connects with the people. They have faith in him that what he says, he will do it. The Prime Minister need not be present in Delhi to perform his official duties. There is no other leader who works as hard as Modi. The pulse of the people is that BJP will get a complete majority," he claimed.
About the break up with long-standing ally Shiv Sena, Fadnavis said Sena's adamance on 151 seats showed its ambitions and insecurities.
"However, we are not thinking about it as we see the situation as an opportunity to move ahead," he said.
To a question, he said the criticism that Maharashtra BJP does not have a face to project is irrelevant. "The state BJP's core group, of which I am a member, is a united face. We, as a strategy, decided to project Modi again because of his connect with the people," he said.
Asked if he is the BJP's chief ministerial candidate, Fadnavis said his priority is that the party should get maximum seats. "After the results, the party leadership will take an appropriate decision," he said.
Fadnavis also rejected the charge that the state BJP ads were defaming Maharashtra.
"It (the ads) highlights anger of the people against the state government. The non-performing state government is a fact and now we are trying to showcase through our ads what we will do if BJP is voted to power," he added.