Shiv Sena dismisses calls for Vidarbha state

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena has said that demands should not be made for a separate Vidarbha state as development works had been carried out in the last four years and a backlog of the last 40-50 years had been cleared.

The Sena in an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana praised the CM, claiming that he had appointed several able officers for the development of Vidarbha and special provisions had been made in the budget for special schemes to be implemented in the region. The editorial also praised Union minister Nitin Gadkari.

According to the Sena, Mr Gadkari at an event recently said it was not right to demand separate statehood when the pace of development of the Vidarbha region had accelerated.

The editorial said that Vidarbha had been developed exceptionally well in the last four years and a backlog of the last 40-50 years that existed, had been covered.

Praising Mr Fadnavis, the Shiv Sena said that the metro in Nagpur was about to start and the chief minister had paid special attention to roads, industries and education in the Vidarbha region. The editorial also said that the people of Vidarbha always felt that injustice was being meted out to them and before the Sena-BJP reign, none of the governments had developed the region.

The Sena further said that Vidarbha had always been used as a political tool by politicians and the issue of separate statehood for it had been kept alive but there had never been any support for the same from the people otherwise the Shiv Sena, which does not support separate statehood for Vidarbha, would not have won the four Parliamentary seats it has won from there.

The Sena also reminded that Mr Gadkari had given Rs 80,000 crore to Vidarbha in the last four years and there was now an international airport, an international level railway station, IIM, IIIT, and several other initiatives to attract tourism and development in the region there.

“Looking at the development and the changed face of Vidarbha, there is no need to demand separate statehood. Mr Gadkari should be congratulated publicly for speaking about a united Maharashtra,” the editorial said.