Illegal mining, a major issue in MP polls next yr: Ajay

Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Ajay Singh today said that though his party raised the matter of rampant illegal mining vigorously in the winter session, it came out in full force only when a young IPS officer was mowed down allegedly by a member of the mining mafia, an issue which will play a major role in the next state polls.

"There was no doubt that illegal mining and the manner in which it was being give protection by the ruling BJP would be a major issue in next year's assembly elections," Ajay Singh told PTI today. IPS officer, Narendra Kumar Singh was mowed down allegedly by a member of the mining mafia at Banmore town in Morena district on Holi when he tried to stop a tractor-trolley carrying illegally mined stones.

Ajay said that this issue will figure along with the issue of Bijli, Sadak and Pani (power, roads and water) in the assembly elections due in 2013 November in the state. He said that it was these three issues on which the BJP had came to power in the December 2003 assembly elections but it had failed on all three fronts. "More than eight years after the BJP came to power, there is acute power shortage, roads are in a bad shape and there is poor management of water in Madhya Pradesh," the Leader of Opposition said.

Ajay said that since it came to power in 2003, the BJP has only been making tall and false claims about improving the situation but it had failed miserably. "The only area in which they may have done well is the field of making claims. The ruling party almost makes one claim each day," he alleged.