'Gujarat model of development' only for Gujarat, not India: Yashwant Sinha

Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha today said the "Gujarat model" of development was for Gujarat only and the country would have a different model if the NDA was voted to power though some provisions of the western state model would be replicated at the national-level.

"The Gujarat model is for Gujarat. The development model for the country will be different. Of course, some parts of the Gujarat model like 24-hour power supply will be incorporated at the national-level," he told reporters here.

Asked how the BJP-led government would tackle the economic situation if it was voted to power, the former Union Finance Minister said "the economic situation is so bad that it will take six months to one year to bring it back on the track."

When the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government took over in 1998, the country's economic health was worse, he said.

Sinha accused Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram of resorting to "jugglery of figures" to show less deficit in the economy.

"Through jugglery of figures, the Finance Minister has shown fiscal deficit at 4.5% which in reality is not less than 6%," he said.

"When the BJP forms the government, my suggestion will be that before presenting the budget, a white paper should be issued on the economic condition of the country," Sinha said.