Cong to hold rallies to 'expose' Maha CM's yatra claims

Accusing Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of hoodwinking people by claiming credit through his 'Mahajanadesh Yatra' for works his government did not do, the Congress on Saturday announced state wide rallies to "expose" him.

First of these rallies, named as 'Mahapardafash' (great exposure), will be held in Vidarbha's Amravati, a party statement said.

The rally will be attended by AICC general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra Mallikarjun Kharge, senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Sushil Kumar Shinde, former state CMs Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan, the party's state unit chief Balasaheb Thorat, state poll campaign committee chairman Nana Patole and others.

Fadnavis had launched 'Mahajanadesh Yatra', a pre-poll mass contact initiative, on August 1.

"The chief minister has set out on the 'Mahajanadesh Yatra' to win polls, ignoring people at a time when the state is facing drought and floods," the Maharashtra Congress said in a statement.

"During the yatra, he is hoodwinking people by claiming credit for works not done. The Congress will expose lies of the chief minister through its Mahapardafash rallies across the state," the statement added.

It added that the party will hold such rallies in Wardha, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Bhandara, Gondia, Yavatmal, Washim, Akola and Buldhana districts in the first phase.

Parts of Marathwada, western Maharashtra, north Maharashtra, Konkan and Mumbai will be covered in the second phase, the statement said.