Creating states is Centre's job: Fadnavis on Vidarbha issue

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.