Campaigning for Rohit Pawar, NCP (SP) chief slams Shinde govt for agrarian crisis, farmer suicides

He was addressing a rally for his party candidate and sitting MLA Rohit Pawar in Karjat-Jamkhed in Ahilyanagar district (formerly Ahmednagar) on the last day of campaigning for the November 20 assembly polls.

The policies of the Centre and state government were making farming unviable, leading to distress among farmers, which was driving them to suicide, the former Union agriculture minister said.

"The real reason behind these suicides is clear. Farming has become unaffordable. Under the Mahayuti government, more than 20,000 farmers have committed suicide. Despite this, the government continues to ignore their plight. The government waives loans of industrialists but does not extend this benefit to distressed farmers," he said.

The Mahayuti comprises Chief Minister Shinde's Shiv Sena, the BJP, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

Pawar said just like Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "unfulfilled promise" of depositing Rs 15 lakh in the accounts of citizens, the Shinde government's flagship Ladki Bahin Yojana too would be abandoned after the polls.

Under the scheme, women with an annual family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh are given Rs 1500 as monthly aid.

The Mahayuti has been claiming that this amount will be raised to Rs 2100 if it retains power in the state.

"In the past few years, 67,000 complaints have been filed regarding violence against women. Additionally, 64,000 women are missing. Nearly 62 lakh people have no jobs in the state. These are the harsh realities," he said attacking the ruling alliance.

He also attacked BJP leader Ram Shinde, who is pitted against Rohit Pawar, without taking the former MLA's name.

Pawar said the Karjat-Jamkhed region lacked development because the previous elected representative did nothing. Shinde had won the seat in 2009 and 2014 before being defeated by Rohit Pawar in 2019 by a margin of more than 43,000 votes.

"I once came here and saw a luxurious bungalow and wondered who could afford such a house in a drought-prone region. You can guess the answer," Pawar said.

"I began my political journey as an MLA, then became a junior minister, later a cabinet minister, and eventually chief minister and Union minister. Rohit Pawar is completing his first term. With your support, he can continue his progress in the next term," the NCP (SP) chief told the gathering while underlining his belief in the 39-year-old leader's potential.

Pawar said he had worked towards developing Pune city and also boosted rural industrial growth there, and asserted the same is planned for Ahilyanagar.

"To achieve this, you need to make Rohit Pawar victorious. If we want development in Karjat-Jamkhed, we need an MIDC (Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation). Without it, no real progress can be made," the opposition stalwart emphasized.