BJP, Shiv Sena would not have split if Balasaheb was alive: Rajnath Singh

Mandrup (Maharashtra): Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance would not have broken had Bal Thackeray been alive.

"We have great respect for Bala Saheb Thackeray. If he were alive, the alliance between Sena-BJP would not have broken," he said.

Addressing a poll rally here for the October 15 Assembly elections, Rajnath said Maharashtra needs 'maha-parivartan' (grand change), and sought people's support.

He also hit out at Congress, saying it is busy criticising the BJP government even though we have reduced the prices of petrol several times and kept inflation under check.

Maharashta farmers are facing agrarian crisis and are in deep distress, and BJP, if voted to power in the state, would improve their economic conditions by opening agro-based industries at taluka level, he said.

"Congress is only busy in criticising us. When they were in power they did nothing. When UPA was in power, the prices of essential commodities increased manifold but we brought prices under check. Prices of petrol have been reduced many times in the past 100 days but the Congress led UPA increased the prices on several occasions," he said.