Rajasthan polls: Congress, BJP trade charges

Jaipur: With polls nearing, the Congress-BJP war of words escalated on Monday as both the parties hit out at each other in separate public rallies in poll-bound Rajasthan. In Dausa, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot accused BJP of misleading people of the state, whereas the opposition`s CM candidate Vasundhara Raje, addressing a gathering in Hanumangarh, alleged that Congress did nothing for the development of Rajasthan despite being in power for 53 years. Gehlot said Raje stayed away from the state for over four years and now, at the time of election, she is "conspiring" to tarnish his government`s image. "We have a lot of achievements to tell whereas the BJP has nothing to highlight, so they are misleading people," he said. While huge investments came to Rajasthan, other development projects were also undertaken on priority. Besides, he said, the state added impressive capacity to power generation in five years.

"Our schemes and programmes, which were introduced comfortably following good financial management, are being appreciated in the country so the opposition is disturbed," he said. On the other hand, Raje alleged that Congress did nothing for the development of the state despite ruling the state for as many as 53 years. "Rajasthan would have become a developed state in so many years but Congress worked for itself, not for the state," Raje commented. "When Narendra Modi can develop Gujarat in ten years, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Raman Singh can develop Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in ten years, then why Congress could not develop Rajasthan in 53 years?" she asked. "Skyrocketing inflation has badly impacted common people. After onion, tomato and potato, salt prices are now going high. How can a poor person survive in such a situation?" Raje said.