Bhopal, Apr 7: Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj today blamed the Centre for rising inflation in the country that has badly affected common man. Ms Swaraj gave the statement while addressing an election meeting at Neemgaon, in Harda district headquarters, in support of BJP candidate Hemanth Khandelwal for the Lok Sabha bypoll in Betul constituency.

''Price of food items had not gone up during the six-year-rule of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. However, prices of essential commodities had gone up since the Congress came into power,'' she said, adding that common man has been hit by rising inflation.

Commenting about public-welfare related schemes launched by the state government, she said Madhya Pradesh was ahead in the pace of development. This is the first state that announced to provide wheat at Rs three per kg to poor.

After the election meeting, Ms Swaraj had to halt at Neemgaon instead of going to Sirali village for public meeting as per the earlier schedule as she was not feeling well. A team of doctors from the Harda district hospital examined the BJP leader at Neemgaon and advised her to take rest there itself.