Objective behind small states' formation achieved: Advani

Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, Nov 11 (UNI) Expressing satisfaction over the development work in Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand, the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate L K Advani today said the objective behind these states' formation had been achieved.

''During its tenure at the Centre, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance fulfilled public wishes by forming these states as it was of the opinion that governance will be good in small states,'' the former deputy premier said while addressing a poll meeting at Lalbagh Maidan here.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha praised Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh by saying that the latter undertook such a volume of development work that people began addressing him as 'Chawal evam kasht niwarak Baba' (the saint who supplies rice and gets rid of sorrow).

''When I reached Kawardha during my Swarn Jayanti Rath Yatra, I realised that Dr Singh is popular plus an outstanding public servant and decided to hand over the state's reins to him. Those who work well are rewarded and those who do bad things punished. If the state government has done good work for development, improvement and progress then you should reward it by giving it another term,'' he felt.

Therein lay democracy's strength, Mr Advani said while adding that Bastar and the rest of the state witnessed development over the past five years of the BJP rule.

''The state's denizens receive round-the-clock power. It is the BJP tradition to determine the leader and announcements in advance be it the assembly hustings or the general elections,'' he said.

The BJP's Chhattisgarh in-charge Ravi Shankar Prasad said that prices spiralled after the Congress-led regime assumed reins at the Centre thereby rendering the common man's life miserable. Dismissing Congress General Secretary and Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi's remark about Bastar not being developed by saying, ''Mr Gandhi must first do his homework.'' UNI XC-AC BDP KN1935