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BJP lacks political will to create Chhattisgarh state, alleges Digvijay Singh

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh has alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party lacked ''political will'' in the formation of separate Chhattisgarh state.

His apprehensions about the delay had proved true with Home Minister L K Advani's statement that Chhattisgarh state "would not be formed before the assembly elections'', the chief minister told reporters at Mana airport.

He said his government was eagerly waiting for the letter from the President about the formation of Chhattisgarh state and once it was received it would be approved by the legislative assembly within fifteen days. The state government had made all arrangements and even made budgetary provision for the formation of the new state.

The chief minister said the BJP had announced the creation of a separate Chhattisgarh state out of over-enthusiasm, and now it was facing problems.

Singh said the Congress had been raising the issue of statehood for Chhattisgarh from the beginning but it had been hijacked by the BJP. The delay in formation of the proposed state would itself become an issue for the Congress in the coming assembly elections, he told a questioner.

He suggested that a special session of the Lok Sabha be convened to pass the bill on the formation of Chhattisgarh state. The bill could even be passed in the special session scheduled on August 13, he added.

About the capital of Chhattisgarh state, he said it should be decided by the people of Chhattisgarh.

Stating that the restrictions on land transactions in Raipur city would not be lifted in the present situation, he said such a step was taken to avoid any scandals similar to the one reported in Jabalpur during the formation of Madhya Pradesh in 1956.

Singh said he favoured that the exercise for allotment of party tickets for the assembly elections be started soon.

He said all the assembly segments in the 16 districts of eastern Madhya Pradesh should be included in the proposed Chhattisgarh state. Two assembly segments of Sarguja districts coming under the Sidhi Lok Sabha constituency should also be included in Chhattisgarh and the delimitation of the Lok Sabha constituencies completed in due course.

UNI

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