Lack of Bellary factor will vote out BJP govt: Maharashtra CM

Corruption during its tenure and the absence of "Bellary factor" would lead to voting out of office of the BJP Government and Congress getting absolute majority, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said on Tuesday.

Chavan, who was incharge of party affairs in Karnataka for the 2008 Assembly polls, argued that the Congress would have come to power then but for the "Bellary problem".

"In 2008, BJP political fortunes were completely based on proceeds of crime out of mining scandals coming out of Bellary (mining scam)," he told reporters here, adding, the Congress lost then because nothing was done despite his party complaining to the Election Commission, and filing petitions before the Lokayukta.

The campaign against mining scam initiated by the Congress then had resulted in "corruption being proven" with a Chief Minister (B S Yeddyurappa) and some Ministers (G Janardhana Reddy) going to jail, Chavan claimed. "There is no Bellary factor (now in the May 5 Assembly elections," he noted.

In addition, the performance of the BJP Government is before the people, who "suffered" under its regime which was either busy "fighting court battles", or "making money" and "protecting the corrupt empire", rather than focusing on development.

He expressed confidence that the Congress would get absolute majority in the elections, with a promise to provide a stable government, adding, "dark chapter of five years" should be "erased".