Taking a swipe at opposition unity, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said flood of support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi has forced "tainted" parties ranged against the BJP to come together.
Chouhan said the just formed opposition bloc 'INDIA' (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) has failed to decide on a common face who will steer the 26-party grouping announced in Bengaluru earlier this week.
The BJP leader mocked the anti-BJP parties over their new alliance.
“Those who are tainted have come together and are sitting on a tree to see the flood of support for the Prime Minister… But the 'dulha' (bridegroom - a reference to face of the bloc) has not been decided yet, and the 'fufa' (husband of father's sister) has got angry. Don't know what will happen in the coming days,” Chouhan said, reacting to opposition's unity move.
He claimed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, a prominent leader of the anti-BJP bloc, has opposed the name "INDIA" for the alliance, while his ally RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav is pulling in a different direction.
Chouhan said opposition leaders who abuse Modi are worried about his popularity and hence they have come together.
"They know that if he (Modi) stays in power, then their (INDIA leaders') corruption will be exposed and they will not be spared," said the CM.
Referring to the day-long Madhya Pradesh visit of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday, Chouhan said people should remember that before 2003 condition of roads and availability of electricity were poor in the state, where assembly polls are due by the year-end.
He alleged the Congress didn't fulfil its promises of farm loan waiver, unemployment allowance and bonus to farmers during its long rule.
Chouhan said the previous Congress government (in office from December 2018 to March 2020) stopped his welfare programmes, including dole of Rs 1,000 to tribal women, laptops to girls securing good marks in exams, pilgrimage schemes and also didn't work on PM Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission.
The CM maintained Madhya Pradesh has grown rapidly under the BJP rule as its per capita income has increased to Rs 1.40 lakh from Rs 11,000 earlier.
The saffron party has been ruling the state since 2003 barring 15 months in 2018-2020 when the Congress was in power.
The size of GSDP (gross state domestic product) has grown to Rs 15 lakh crore now from Rs 71,000 crore earlier, he said.
Reacting to a video emerging from violence-hit Manipur, showing two women being paraded naked, Chouhan said the incident was unfortunate and heart-wrenching.
Entire country wants those involved in the incident to be severely punished, said the BJP leader.
