BJP Chief Nitin Gadkari, who is facing allegations of dubious funding of his companies, today skirted any mention of the controversy surrounding him even as he attacked the Congress on issues of corruption and bad governance.

Addressing election rallies at Reckong Peo in tribal Kinnaur district and Chopal in interior Shimla in the run up to the November 4 Assembly polls, Gadkari, who has got the backing of the party leadership, avoided touching on the charges of financial irregularities against his Purti group. He also chose not to interact with the media.

BJP had last night set at rest speculation about his continuance in office by expressing its unanimous support and dismissing media reports of his impending resignation as "baseless and untrue".

Hitting out at the Congress, Gadkari said, "Poverty, unemployment, corruption and lack of infrastructure are gifts of the Congress to the people" while in power. Gadkari said instead of helping the poor people, the ruling party had benefitted big leaders and corporate houses while doing nothing to check unemployment and curb price rise.

Comparing the NDA and the UPA rule, Gadkari said that prices were stable, Rupee was strong and steps were taken to strengthen the basic infrastructure during the NDA regime.

The UPA government has failed on all fronts and did nothing for overall development of the country, he said. "The farmers are committing suicide, the common man is reeling under rising prices, and unemployment is on the rise but the government has failed miserably to solve these problems," Gadkari added.