BJP vice president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe (left) releasing vision document for Maharashtra polls on Friday
The Maharashtra unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today released its vision document, just five days ahead of the voting for Assembly elections.
Surprisingly, the document steered clear of the issue of creating a separate Vidarbha state, which the party has promised if it comes to power. The BJP has faced attacks from Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena which are opposed to any bifurcation of Maharashtra.
However, the BJP has defended the omission. "There is no question of escapism, it is political pragmatism. We want to move cautiously as we have to take everyone along," BJP's National Vice President Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said.
The vision document has promised a memorial for Babasaheb Ambedkar and a Chhatrapati Shivaji memorial in Arabian Sea along with a Lokmanya Tilak memorial at Girgaum Chowpatty. It also promised an award for brave children in the name of Tukaram Ombale, the constable who captured 26/11 terrorist Kasab. The document also mentions development of Marathi literature, soil health card for farmers, drinking water for every home in Maharashtra and the creation of a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
In the election season, the BJP also finds itself in a delicate situation over a series of advertisements rhetorically asking "Kuthe neun thevlay Maharashtra maajha? (Where have you taken my Maharashtra?)" The advertisements, which have been withdrawn now, had actors portraying people from various areas in Maharashtra voicing grievances about the state of roads and water supply.
Congress MLA Baba Siddique attacked the BJP saying, "It is but natural that BJP had to retract these advertisements as Maharashtra has done better than Gujarat and it won't be surprising if BJP has to retract more claims."
Defending the removal of the advertisements, Mr Sahasrabuddhe said, "Our phase of public education has started. Advertising is after all a public education. So in education you have lesson one and lesson two. It is now time of lesson two."