Poll in 5 states semi-final of Lok Sabha polls: Gadkari

Rupnagar (Pb), Jan 24: BJP President Nitin Gadkari said the coming assembly elections in five states was "semi-final" for the Lok Sabha elections to be held in 2014. "These elections are semi-finals of the Lok Sabha polls (of 2014)," Gadkari said addressing an election meeting at Nurpurbedi in this district.

The BJP chief appealed to the people to vote for a party which can reshape the future of the nation. Addressing the meeting in which Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and BJP Vice President Shanta Kumar were also present, Gadkari accused the Congress-led UPA of indulging in corrupt practices, including the 2G spectrum scam.

"While Punjab is progressing under the leadership of the Chief Minister Badal, the Congress leadership under Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh has destroyed the country," he alleged. Gadkari alleged the Centre was not ready to disclose the names of the people who have stashed their black money abroad "because of the simple reason as Congress party's name will be blackened".

He said whenever BJP-led government comes back to power at the Centre it would bring back black money stashed abroad. Badal said his government had started many development projects and they needed one more chance to complete the pending works.

PTI