Opinion poll backs Vidarbha state

Students participated in large numbers,according to convener Chandrakant Wankhede,a prominent farm activist. “We had erected booths at all vantage places in the city. Heavy rains affected the programme,else we would have had a polling of about 1.5 lakh,” Wankhede told The Indian Express.

“It is often said people are not for statehood,only leaders are. Also,Amravati region is stated to be against Nagpur-inspired statehood. That’s why we undertook this vote at Amravati. It has been established that the people across the region,though they may be fed up of region’s leadership,do want a separate state.”

He criticised the Shiv Sena MP from Amravati,Anand Adsul,for “playing it safe” by not casting his “no” vote.

Meanwhile,responding to statehood issue,Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan told mediapersons here that a committee under the chairmanship of economist Vijay Kelkar had been looking into the issue of developmental imbalance and the government would take steps on the recommendation in the report due to be submitted soon.