BJP President Amit Shah on Saturday said the Chhattisgarh government, under Chief Minister Raman Singh, has made the state nearly Maoist-free, developing it into a power hub of prospering cement, steel and aluminum industries, besides making rapid progress in education and health.

"Chhattisgarh is the best example of a welfare state," Shah said, while releasing the BJP election manifesto. "Raman Singh has made a successful effort to change Chhattisgarh in the last 15 years. The biggest achievement of the Bharatiya Janata Party regime here is that it has tightened the noose on the Maoists. It has almost freed the state from the insurgents," the party chief said.