Addressing a conference organised by the All India Kisan Sabha charged the BJP-led central and state governments of not having a sympathetic view towards farmers facing an agrarian crisis.
To strengthen its rural base ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar and state Congress president Ashok Chavan urged the need to concentrate on rural pockets.
Addressing a conference organised by the All India Kisan Sabha charged the BJP-led central and state governments of not having a sympathetic view towards farmers facing an agrarian crisis. Expressing concerns over the issue of drought and farmers' suicides, the former Union Agriculture Minister also listed steps the previous Manmohan Singh-led UPA government took for farmers' welfare.
"We had been meeting farmers as a part of our 'Lok Sampark Abhiyan' (public outreach campaign). The anger is palpable against the incumbent government," said former chief minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan.
Pratap Asabe, senior political analyst who was present at the conference urged the parties to encash the widespread anger into votes. "If the NCP and the Congress want to come back to power, they have to focus on the agrarian issues, and the widespread anger against the current government has to be tapped and encashed into votes during elections," he said.
Interestingly, BJP has been concentrating on the urban pockets like Mumbai, Nasik, Pune and Nagpur. Most of the infrastructure projects have been initiated in these regions.
On the other hand, Dhananjay Munde, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council and NCP MLC is on Marathwada tour. This year, Munde decided not to celebrate the Diwali and visit the drought-affected farmers and address their problems. "Their stories will break your heart. This year's drought is more severe than the one faced in 1972. The state government has promised help, it is yet to reach the drought-hit people," demanded Munde.
ATTEMPTS
Supriya Sule, NCP MP and daughter of Sharad Pawar is also touring various part of the state. She has been meeting farmers and various professionals and traders from the rural areas to widen the party’s rural reach
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