Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday refuted the opposition's allegation that Maharashtra was losing projects to Gujarat, asserting that under BJP leadership, the state has secured 52 percent of the total investment in India.
Taking a dig at the opposition, Fadnavis remarked that Gujarat doesn’t even need to advertise, as the MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) does it for them. He said, "No one praises Gujarat as much as Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, and Nana Patole. They have become Gujarat’s ambassadors."
Fadnavis sharply responded to the critics by emphasising Maharashtra's economic performance, proudly claiming that Maharashtra has outperformed other states in attracting investment. He recalled that when he assumed office as Chief Minister in 2019, Karnataka was ranked number one, and Maharashtra had dropped to number four.
By 2021, Gujarat took the top position, while Maharashtra remained at number four. However, he claimed that with the formation of the new government, Maharashtra quickly regained its top position.
Referring to the latest RBI report, he highlighted that Maharashtra now accounts for 52 percent of the nation's total investment, surpassing Gujarat and Karnataka, which together account for only 48 percent.
Asked about Uddhav Thackeray's claims regarding businesses leaving Maharashtra for Gujarat and his statement that a "Berlin Wall" had been built between the two states, Fadnavis rejected these allegations.
In an interview with ANI to Smita Prakash, he said, "Sometimes I wonder how these people (the opposition) have the confidence to lie so much. When I was Chief Minister from 2014-2019, Maharashtra was number one in FDI. But when we came back to power, Maharashtra regained the top spot."
Fadnavis further explained that the recent RBI report supports his claim, showing that Maharashtra attracted 52 percent of the total investment in the country, while Gujarat and Karnataka combined for just 48 percent. He mocked the opposition's criticism by saying, "How fortunate is Gujarat? They don’t need to advertise, the MVA does it for them."
He also addressed the issue raised by Rahul Gandhi, who claimed that industries moving to Gujarat would force the youth of Maharashtra, especially tribal youth, to work as "slave labourers" in other regions.
Fadnavis directly responded, saying, "I want to ask Rahul Gandhi, your government is in Karnataka, which is not performing well. Look at how much investment is flowing there. When our government was in power, Maharashtra was at the top. Now, under the opposition, it has fallen behind. Rahul Gandhi, show us one government that is performing well. There isn’t a single one."
Fadnavis also criticised the Himachal Pradesh government for implementing a rule requiring permission for payments over Rs 10,000, and ironically stated, "Maharashtra is learning governance from Karnataka."
He further mocked the Congress party's advertisements, pointing out that Maharashtra's politicians were not featured in their ads, but leaders from Karnataka and Telangana were prominently highlighted.
Fadnavis remarked, "In Congress ads, there is no mention of Maharashtra’s politicians. They only feature Karnataka and Telangana. Will these advertisements create jobs for Maharashtra's youth? Rahul Gandhi talks nonsense. His own party doesn't take him seriously, and neither should anyone else."
Fadnavis’ Criticism of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Poll Campaign
Devendra Fadnavis, a prominent leader in the ruling BJP, has been fiercely defending his party’s performance in Maharashtra as the state prepares for its upcoming Assembly elections.
As the political battle heats up ahead of the November 20 polls, Fadnavis has directed his criticism towards the opposition, particularly the MVA alliance, consisting of Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP, and Congress.
Addressing the ongoing debates surrounding Maharashtra's economic performance, Fadnavis also responded to the opposition’s narrative about businesses moving to Gujarat. The opposition had claimed that Maharashtra’s industries were being lost to Gujarat due to the state's supposed decline under the BJP.
Fadnavis pushed back on these claims by emphasising that Maharashtra was still the leader in attracting investment. He pointed to data from the RBI, which reported that Maharashtra had secured 52 percent of India’s total investment, surpassing Gujarat, which had 24 percent, and Karnataka, which had 24 percent as well.
Further, Fadnavis remarked that Gujarat's success was largely being boosted by the relentless praise from opposition leaders, including NCP’s Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, and Congress’s Nana Patole.
He sarcastically suggested that these leaders had become “ambassadors” for Gujarat, inadvertently boosting its image while making false claims about Maharashtra’s investment climate.
Asserting that the Maharashtra government’s policies and efforts were directly responsible for the influx of investments, Fadnavis referenced the economic data to demonstrate the state’s recovery and growth under the leadership of the BJP.
"Maharashtra is No. 1 again because of the new government that came to power," he said, reinforcing the idea that the state has bounced back from earlier setbacks.
Fadnavis also took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi, responding to the Congress leader’s remarks that industries shifting to Gujarat would harm the youth of Maharashtra.
Fadnavis pointed out that the state of Karnataka, governed by the Congress, was not performing as well as Maharashtra in terms of investments. He criticised the Congress party for its underperformance, calling it out for its lack of a successful track record on governance.
In addition to taking aim at Congress's internal leadership, Fadnavis mocked the party’s advertisements, claiming that they rarely featured Maharashtra's politicians and instead focused on leaders from Karnataka and Telangana. He questioned whether these ads would actually result in job creation for Maharashtra’s youth, mocking Rahul Gandhi’s rhetoric on the issue.
As the state heads towards its Assembly elections, with voting scheduled for November 20 and results to be announced on November 23, it would be interesting to see how Maharashtra votes.
Follow us
