Elections in Maharashtra but Rahul Gandhi in Bangkok, says Devendra Fadnavis

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis mocked Congress-NCP over senior Congress leader Sushilkumar Shinde's comments of the two parties being "tired" and a possibility of a merger in the future. He also said the alliance would face defeat in the assembly polls.

"Excitement in this election is clearly missing since the writing on the wall is clear to our opposition that they would be defeated.

That is the reason that former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has gone to Bangkok despite polls in Maharashtra . Although NCP chief Sharad Pawar is campaigning, there are hardly any leaders with him," said Fadnavis, adding that many NCP leaders have already deserted Pawar and the remaining would do so after the polls are over. TNN

Fadnavis kicked off his poll campaign from Dhule in North Maharashtra. Later, he addressed rallies at Shirpur (Dhule), Shahada (Nandurbar), Satana and Chandwad (Nashik).

"Congress-NCP have made tall claims in their manifesto, those that they would not be able to fulfil. I think they have missed one promise in the manifesto and that this is to provide one Taj Mahal to each voter," Fadnavis said sarcastically. He said that unlike the 15-year Congress-NCP rule, his BJP-led government had delivered all that it had promised: "There has not been a single case of corruption in our government in the last five years. It has worked in a transparent manner."

Meanwhile, Congress MLC and former state minister Amrish Patel joined BJP during the chief minister's rally at Shirpur. Along with Patel, other senior Congress functionaries of Shirpur too joined BJP. Patel said he was impressed with the development agenda of BJP and hence decided to quit Congress. tnn