Maharashtra-based pro-farmers political party Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana chief Raju Shetti attacked Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday for failing to waive off loans taken by farmers in the state, as promised in the BJP-led Mahayuti’s 2024 Maharashtra assembly election manifesto.
Shetti said, “In the election manifesto which was released by the Mahayuti, did they promise to give 20% more subsidy to farmers on the guaranteed price or not? Ajit Pawar should clarify. Now, Pawar has claimed that he never said that he would waive off farmers’ loans”.
Raju Shetti said Ajit Pawar should clarify that he had nothing to do with the manifesto published by the Mahayuti, and his party had nothing to do with it. ” At that time, the leader of the Mahayuti was Devendra Fadnavis. He had repeatedly promised that he would fulfill the wishes of farmers and waive off their loans. The farmers trusted him. Therefore, now Ajit Pawar should clarify if the farmers made a mistake by trusting Devendra Fadnavis,” Shetti said.
Incidentally, before coming to power, the Mahayuti government had announced in its election manifesto that loans taken by farmers would be waived off.
However, after coming to power, no decision has been taken regarding the loan waiver of farmers, citing shortage of funds. The opposition in Maharashtra has been constantly criticising the government about this issue.
On Friday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said in Kolhapur, “Who promised waiver of farmers’ loans? Did I promise it? I never promised any such thing”.
After Ajit Pawar’s statement regarding waiver of loans availed by farmers, there is speculation that farmers are likely to feel let down after they trusted the Mahayuti’s Maharashtra assembly election manifesto and voted for the Mahayuti alliance.