Anti-Vidarbha lobby should be kept at bay during polls: Dhote

Former MP and prominent supporter of separate Vidarbha movement Jambhuwantrao Dhote today exhorted that the "anti-Vidarbha lobby with vested interest" should kept at the bay during the ensuing elections to Zilla Parishad and Pachayat Samitis.

"The anti-Vidarbha lobby with vested interests in the western Maharashtra should be kept at the bay during local body elections. People of Vidarbha will not pardon them (referring to politicians) for their opposition to formation of a separate Vidarbha," Dhote told reporters here.

He said that when Indian National Congress was formed in 1885 and the issue of Vidarbha State was discussed in its national convention in 1888.

Dhote, however, praised the ruling BJP for its positive stand over the demand of statehood to Vidarbha.

"There is no solution for the heavy backlog in all fronts of development in Vidarbha region other than bestowing it with statehood," Dhote reiterated.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)