As Gadkari pushes Nagpur Metro, ruling alliance finds credit going BJP's way.

Political unease within the ruling alliance in the state is evident with the Nagpur Metro project likely to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 21, though the date is not official yet.

EGS Minister, District Guardian Minister and North Nagpur Congress MLA Nitin Raut has been quoted as saying that Modi is coming to Nagpur to pay a visit to the RSS headquarters, indicating the disquiet.

Former Nagpur MP Vilas Muttemwar, who was defeated by Nitin Gadkari, said at a Congress conclave here recently that while the party lost the opportunity to lay the foundation for the project before the Lok Sabha elections due to some pending formalities, BJP would now claim the credit for it though most of the spadework was done by the UPA government.

With Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and local Congress and NCP leaders scheduled to participate in the programme, it will be interesting to see if and how the CM counters the BJP that is all set to claim credit for the project.

While Raut couldn’t be reached for his comment, a senior government official said both the CM and the Deputy CM were scheduled to attend the function. 'After all, it is a joint venture of the state and the Centre with 50 per cent equity each,' he said.

The Metro project is set to get the final clearance from the Cabinet any time now, pending which the PM’s programme can’t be officially announced. 'The Public Investment Board (PIB) is likely to have cleared it today and its minutes will now go to the Cabinet where we are expecting it to be cleared for take-off in a day or two,' said the official.

Local BJP sources said Modi was also set to address a public rally on the day, his first in the state after the LS elections, at the Kasturchand Park ground here to virtually launch the Assembly election campaign.

Gadkari has been working overtime to put all pending Nagpur projects on fast track. The Metro, which has now overtaken the Pune project in terms of clearances, is expected to help the BJP consolidate its position in the Assembly elections.

Speculation is also rife over Shiv Sena being cold-shouldered in the planning of the programme. City unit chief Shekhar Sawarbandhe, however, said: 'It is their party programme. Why would they involve us? We have no grievance about it.'


THE INDIAN EXPRESS