BJP using Art 370 to mislead people: Anand Sharma

Senior Congres leader Anand Sharma has slammed the ruling BJP for using nullification of Article 370 as a plank for the October 21 Maharashtra assembly polls, campaign for which came to end on Saturday.

Speaking at a press conference in Pune, Sharma said the erstwhile Congress governments had fought wars against Pakistan, but never tried to derive a political mileage by raising them during electoral campaigns.

"The BJP is using Article 370 in elections for votes. The Congress government had fought wars, but we never used them to derive a political mileage," he said.

Sharma alleged that the BJP has "institutionalised" corruption via election bonds. "The BJP is using this fund to influence media and for political programmes," he said.

Attacking the BJP government over unemployment and economic slowdown, Sharma said the Central and Maharashtra governments are hiding truth from the people on these fronts.

"There are no sings of financial growth and employment generation in the BJP governments. They are using (scrapping of) Article 370 to divert the attention of people form main topics," he alleged.

On the poll promises by BJP and Shiv Sena to offer cheap meals, if voted to power, he said the BJP government should first implement Food Security Act for poor people.

The main contest to win the 288-member Assembly lies between the BJP-led grand alliance comprising the Sena and smaller parties, and the Congress-NCP combine.