“Our neighbouring countries are doing better than us,” SP chief Akhilesh Yadav slams BJP

Dhule (Maharashtra) [India], October 19 (ANI): As the Maharashtra assembly polls draw nearer, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday attacked BJP over its promise of making India as world’s largest economy, stating that India’s neighboring countries are doing better than us in terms of economy.

“They (BJP) promised that India will become the world’s largest economy… If my data is not wrong, then our neighbouring countries are doing better than us and there is no hunger there… Our country has more hunger than them,” Akhilesh Yadav said while addressing a rally at Maharashtra’s Dhule.

“The BJP is frustrated after the defeat in the Lok Sabha elections… They did corruption in the construction of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj… The people of Maharashtra will not forgive them,” he further said.

A 35-foot-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg district collapsed on August 26 this year. It was unveiled on December 4 last year as part of Navy Day celebrations and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Assembly elections in Maharashtra will be held in a single phase on November 20 with counting of votes on November 23. With this, the political parties have begun gearing up for an election that will be unprecedented in many ways.

In the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls, the Congress and undivided Shiv Sena won 154 out of 288 seats under Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) banner. However, this time around the Shiv Sena (UBT), Sharad Pawar’s NCP and Congress are in alliance to reclaim power against BJP-led Mahayuti alliance.

In the Lok Sabha election held this year, MVA won 30 of the state’s 48 Lok Sabha seats. The ruling alliance won 17. One seat went to an independent candidate.