RAIPUR: BJP president Amit Shah sounded a poll bugle eulogising the BJP's contribution for growth and development of Chhattisgarh as he extolled former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee for creating new state of Chhattisgarh and the chief minister Raman Singh who nurtured it.
Shah was at Dongargarh in Rajnandgaon district, about 100 km west of Raipur, to launch the Raman Singh government's 'Atal Vikas Yatra' on Wednesday.
Later addressing a public rally, the BJP chief exhorted the people to vote for the BJP for the fourth consecutive term if they wish to see the Chhattisgarh of Vajpayee's dream. "The development that you see in Chhattisgarh is owing to its formation by late Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji. But still more tasks remain to be accomplished. We have to create a new Chhattisgarh. So again we need BJP government in Chhattisgarh and the Modi government in 2019".
Shah asserted and further added that the Raman-Modi duo as 'double-decker train' will take the state to higher growth trajectory. In a scathing attack on the Congress president, whom he referred as 'Shahdzada', Shah said that Rahul Gandhi has no right to seek accountability of BJP-led Central government. -"You (Rahul) are asking account of performance of four years of BJP-led NDA's rule, but the nation wants to know why development was lacking during the four generations ruled by your family. You have no right to raise question," Shah thundered. Shah blamed the earlier Congress governments for keeping the state as -"poor and deprived,".
"Chhattisgarh was earlier cited as Bimaru state. Today roads, power, toilets and LPG facilities have reached every village and remaining ten backward districts of the state are being promoted as aspirational districts on various growth parameters through assistance by the Centre," the BJP president stated. He recounted the states where the BJP has either retained power or formed government after Narendra Modi became the prime minister in 2014.
"And now in Chhattisgarh the BJP will again form the government," the BJP chief contended countering the Congress party's claim of forming the government in the state as "daydreaming". The opposition Congress called the BJP as -"self-obsessed and doing politics in the name of Atal Bihari Vajpayee".
"BJP is doing propaganda after the demise of Vajpayee to secure electoral gain-", said Sushil Anand Shukla, Congress chief spokesperson. Wooing the farmers Shah cited the Raman Singh's government "big" support for the farmers on minimum support price and bonus.
The CM also took the occasion to compare Chhattisgarh of 2003, the year BJP came to power, with 2018 when, "it has earned identity as developed state". Cited surgical strike on Pakistan Shah said that Modi government has safeguarded the nation and CM Raman Singh has developed the Chhattisgarh. Shah earlier offered worship at Bambleshwari temple in Dongargarh and also met Kabir-panthi guru of Damakheda Prakash Muni in Raipur under the BJP's 'Sampark for Samarthan' outreach campaign.