Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah said on Friday that Naxalism and Maoism have been eradicated in Chhattisgarh.

Addressing multiple public meetings in the poll-bound state on Friday, the BJP chief also mocked Congress president Rahul Gandhi over the latter’s comment on contesting 2019 elections.

At the Adivasi Sammelan in Kanker, Shah said that the BJP government in Chhattisgarh has pulled the state out of the clutches of Naxalism and propelled it on the path of development.

Commenting on Gandhi, Shah said, “I want to ask Rahul Gandhi under whose leadership does he want to contest 2019 elections.”

Congress President Rahul Gandhi had on Friday said that he is willing to be the Prime Minister if allies want him to be.

“We have had discussions with allies and what we decided is that this is a two stage process stage — one is to get together and defeat BJP and stage two is, once the election is over then we will decide what happens,” the Congress president explained at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in New Delhi.

Read More: If allies want me, I will become Prime Minister, says Rahul Gandhi

In Chhattisgarh, the BJP chief expressed confidence that his party will be elected to power again in the upcoming assembly elections.

“Atalji has built Chhattisgarh and Raman Singh has nurtured and developed it,” he said, adding that work on bringing a road close to every village in Chhattisgarh is complete.

Showering praises on the work done by BJP CMs, Shah said that only they have the confidence of facing the people.

Addressing a Mahila Sammelan in Durg, Shah praised the government led by Chief Minister Raman Singh in the state for its work for the uplift of the women of Chhattisgarh. He also accused Rahul Gandhi and Congress of insulting the women of the state.

“The time is to defeat the Congress and only the matrilineal power of Chhattisgarh can do that,” he said.

“The centre of all the programmes of the Chhattisgarh government is our matrilineal strength,” Shah said in his praise for the turnout in glowing words.

“This is the biggest Mahakumbh of motherly power I have seen in my life,” he said amid thundering applause.

“When a man becomes a worker, he simply becomes a worker. But when a mother or a sister becomes a worker, an entire family becomes part of the party,” Shah added.

Chhattisgarh will go to polls later this year.