Maha farmers awaiting immediate aid, not new government: Shiv Sena

Mumbai, Nov 1: Amid standoff with ally BJP over formation of the next government in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena on Friday demanded immediate relief for farmers affected by unseasonal rains in parts of the state.

In an editorial in its mouthpiece "Saamana", the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said farmers who have suffered crop loss should be provided adequate compensationwithout attaching any conditions. "The farmers in the state are awaiting immediate assistance and not a new government," the editorial said.

It said farmers who were bearing the brunt of dry drought all these years are now facing wet drought as rains have continued despite end of monsoon over a fortnight ago. The Marathi daily said adequate compensationshould be given to affected agriculturists without considering any terms and conditions like whether the damage was caused by heavy rains or unseasonal showers.

Due to the rains since the last one month, all expenditure done by cultivators on farming had been wasted, the Sena mouthpiece rued. Taking a dig at senior ally, the BJP, the editorial said, "Instead of standing by farmers, efforts are focussed on garnering support for government formation. "Despite getting a mandate, there is still no new government in place," it said.

The editorial, however, did not name the BJP, which has rejected the Sena's demand to split the chief minister's post for 2.5 years each. There is a caretaker government in place which is busy shoring up its numbers to stake claim to form the next dispensation, the paper said.

The editorial said a Shiv Sena delegation met the governor on Thursday demanding assistance for farmers whose crops have been damaged by unseasonal showers. Shiv Sena leader and Worli MLA Aaditya Thackeray was part of the delegation that met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

"More than politics of power, the Shiv Sena believes in saving farmers," the paper added. The Sena and the BJP are locked in a bitter tussle over sharing of power in the next government. The Sena is demanding the post of Chief Minister for 2.5 years and 50:50 division of portfolios. Both these demands have been rejected by the BJP which has insisted that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will continue to hold the post for the next five years.