Union Minister Shekhawat calls MVA rule Maharashtra's 'black period'

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Saturday described the tenure of the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA government as a black period for Maharashtra alleging that it was marked by widespread corruption and inefficiencyAccording to news agency PTI Shekhawat who was in Thane mdash the home turf of Shiv Sena leader and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde mdash was campaigning for the candidates of the ruling Mahayuti alliance ahead of the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024The Bharatiya Janata Party BJP leader accused the MVA government led by Uddhav Thackeray of stalling critical development projects which he claimed left Maharashtra grappling with longterm consequences The way the MVA was formed by breaking and forging alliances insulted the peoples mandate of 2019 Shekhawat said referring to the collapse of the alliance between the BJP and the undivided Shiv Sena after the 2019 assembly polls Following the split the Shiv Sena joined forces with the Nationalist Congress Party NCP and Congress to form the MVA government but it collapsed in 2022 when Shinde rebelled and aligned with BJP The NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar now continues to be a part of MVAAccording to PTI Shekhawat further claimed that key infrastructure projects such as the Mumbai Metro were delayed under MVA rule and the state suffered financial mismanagement during the Covid19 pandemic He also pointed to the arrest of the then Home Minister as an example of the opposition blocrsquos mismanagement Constitutional norms were defied unemployment surged to 33 per cent in urban areas and corruption was rampant he allegedThe BJP leader also took aim at the Congress accusing the party of failing to deliver on its promises in Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh He criticised Congress for its proposal to offer Rs 3000 per month to women as part of their electoral agenda calling it an election gimmick Under the states Ladki Bahin programme women currently receive Rs 1500 per monthWhile campaigning for candidates of Mahayuti mdash BJP Shiv Sena led by Shinde and NCP led by Ajit Pawar for the Maharashtra Assembly Elections mdash Shekhawat emphasised his partys achievements and claimed 27 crore people have been lifted out of poverty and India has been transformed into one of the worlds most robust economies Maharashtra too has witnessed significant progress under BJP rule he said citing an allocation of Rs 1000 crore to develop Thane into a smart cityAccording to PTI Shekhawat also pointed to the BJPled governments major national initiatives such as the removal of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya as evidence of the partyrsquos commitment to fulfilling its promises We do what we say he said This election is about choosing between false assurances and proven governanceFinally he highlighted the potential for tourism and infrastructure development in Maharashtra asserting that the BJP was committed to transforming the state into a hub of growth and prosperityWith PTI inputs