Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Maharashtra) [India]: Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged that if the Maha Vikas Agadhi alliance gains power in Maharashtra, it iill bring back the era of droughts and the water crisis in the poll bound State.
“Agadhi wale boond boond paani ke liye apko tarsayenge. Isliye mein mata aur beheno ko keheta hu, Agadhi wale ko ghusne bhi mat dena, warne aapko paani ke liye bhi tarsake rakehenge (The Agadhi alliance will make you beg for every drop of water, that is why I tell the mothers and sisters that they should not even let the alliance get in power, otherwise they will make you beg for water),” said PM Modi.
He was addressing a public meeting at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar district in the State, which is headed for Assembly polls on November 20. PM Modi was also facilitated by NDA leaders, including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale.
The Prim Minister alleged that the MVA alliance has done nothing but increase the problems of the State.
“There has been a water crisis in Marathwada for a long time, but the Congress and the Aghadi people always remained sitting idle. For the first time in our government, concrete efforts began to fight drought,” he said.
The PM also highlighted that the MVA alliance did not respect the wishes of Balasaheb Thackeray, saying that it was the late leader’s wish to rename Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar.
“The whole of Maharashtra knows that the demand to give this name to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar was raised by Balasaheb Thackeray. The Aghadi government was in power for 2.5 years, but these people did not have the courage to do so under pressure from the Congress. Whereas the Mahayuti government renamed this city as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar as soon as it came to power. We fulfilled your wish, we fulfilled Balasaheb Thackeray’s wish,” he said.
The Eknath Shinde-led government changed the name of Aurangabad in 2022.
“Who was most hurt by making Aurangabad Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar? This same Congress party, this Aghadi people… whose people even went to the court to overturn this decision,” the PM added.
The PM said that in contrast, the Mahayuti alliance is working for the development of Maharashtra, connecting the state through ambitious highways to enhance connectivity.
He claimed, “Maharashtra has to lead the vision of developed India. BJP and Mahayuti are working with this resolution. That is why today modern infrastructure is being built in Maharashtra. Today Samruddhi Mahamarg (also known as Mumbai-Nagpur Highway) is passing through Sambhaji Nagar. It is directly connected to Marathwada, Vidarbha and Mumbai.”
The Samruddhi Mahamarg is a 701 km road project to connect various places across Maharashtra, with the aim of connecting Nagpur and Mumbai
He also mentioned the Palki Highway, saying, “Along with this great yagya of development in Maharashtra, our government is also performing the ritual of heritage. For the convenience of the devotees of Lord Vitthal, we have constructed Palkhi Highway.”
The network of roads is meant to help the annual pilgrimage in which devotees carry palkhis (palanquins) Saint Dnyaneshwar, with union minister Nitin Gadkari announcing in September that the ‘palkhi margs’ have been completed.
The 288 Maharashtra Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on November 20, with the vote count happening in November 23.
Campaigning has intensified for the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra with both the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) making efforts to woo the electorate.