Mumbai, Apr 24 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while asking him to take charge, had said that Maharashtra's image had become that of a "state of brokers", Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said today.

Fadnavis added that PM Modi had told him at the time that "we need to change it".

Fadnavis was speaking at the launch of a book by Pune-based journalist Ashish Chandorkar.

The book, titled "Man of Mission Maharashtra" was launched by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and is a compilation of success stories of the Fadnavis government since it came to power in November 2014.

"The book carries my photograph on the cover but it is not just my work alone. The success stories are a result of team work," Fadnavis told the gathering.

Speaking on the occasion, Gadkari said that caste politics came to the forefront every time parties were unable to counter the success of a particular leader.

"There is a time when you cannot counter the success of a leader and then caste politics comes to the forefront. Something like this is happening with Fadnavis," Gadkari said.

Gadkari, speaking on the occasion, said that the inefficiency of earlier governments had resulted in non-utilisation of water resources worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

"After Fadnavis took over, the government is rapidly completing projects which will greatly help people of the state. There was a time when the issue of water tankers used to be discussed in the Assembly. Now several villages are tanker-free," he claimed.

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