Lok Sabha polls 2014: BJP's declaration of Prime Minister nominee sign of impatience; Sharad Pawar

NASHIK: Terming the BJP's announcement of Prime Ministerial nominee Narendra Modi as a "sign of impatience", Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today said they are not fighting the elections on issues, but only to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister.

"Any political party contests a certain election on specific issues or the development issue, but, the BJP is contesting the general elections only to make Narendra Modi the prime minister and this is sign of impatience," Pawar said addressing a public meeting last evening at Ghoti near here.

Launching a scathing attack on Modi, the NCP chief said most of the communal riots (in the country) took place in Gujarat.

"When a people's representative was set on fire at a short distance, Modi did not show the courtesy to meet his family members to offer them condolences," he said in an apparent reference to 2002 post-Godhra riots victim and former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri.

These elections are important for the nation, he said, adding that that in the last 10 years, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh enhanced the level of development of the country.

"...in my tenure as agriculture minister, we reached to the root of the cause to prevent farmers' suicides in Maharashtra and we have waived loans of the farmers," the Union minister said.

"Our paddy and cotton have reached international market. Our UPA government has introduced the Food Security Bill so that no one would starve," he said while describing the achievements of the central government.

He said that during the earlier Congress rule in Gujarat, the GDP of that state was 17% but now during Chief Minister Narendra Modi's rule, the GDP has come down to 8%.

NCP sitting MP from Nashik, Sameer Bhujbal and senior Congress leader Vinayakdada Patil were present on the occasion.