Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu today said BJP needed clear majority in the February 21 elections to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation so as to stop the leakage of funds given by the Centre.
Addressing a campaign rally for BJP in Sion area here, Naidu didn't directly attack the bickering ally Shiv Sena which currently controls the corporation.
"The reason I came to Mumbai to campaign is that Mumbai is a state in itself. Its annual budget is of the size of a medium-sized state in the country. Mumbai is also a mini-Bharat, where people from all parts of the country live. But people do not get good amenities here," he said.
"Centre gives money but there are leaks (at local level) so give a full majority to BJP (to prevent leakages)," he said.
Without naming Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, he said when people of the country were "heading in one direction (behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi), there were some who were heading in exact opposite direction (by opposing Modi).
"You have voted for BJP for Lok Sabha and for Assembly. You should vote for BMC too," Naidu said, adding that Mumbai should not remain behind when everybody else was supporting the Union Government.
The PM was going to take even "tougher decisions" in coming days hence some people had panicked, the senior BJP leader said.
People were rejecting Congress on all fronts and they should do this with NCP too, Naidu said.
He also referred to the situation in Tamil Nadu. "Look at Tamil Nadu and see what is happening there after the demise of J Jayalalithaa. There was a drama going on in Samajwadi Party in UP followed by a comedy and after election, there will be tragedy," he quipped.
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