Maharashtra elections 2024: Present govt has worsened situation for farmers, says NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar

Sharad Pawar. File Pic

Ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra elections 2024, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) chief Sharad Pawar slammed the ruling government Mahayuti, saying that the present government in the state has worsened the situation for farmers and several farmers have committed suicide, reported news agency ANI.

Addressing a public rally, Sharad Pawar said, "In Maharashtra, NCP (SP), Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) decided to go in the election together... Earlier, during the last Lok Sabha elections in 2019, Congress had only one seat and we had three, but this time we got 30 seats because we fought together...The present government has worsened the situation for farmers in Maharashtra...during the last six months, several farmers committed suicide...," reported ANI.

Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress and accused the party of "looting" the poor in the name of poverty elimination.

Addressing a public rally at Panvel in Maharashtra, PM Modi said, "Congress always worked on the agenda of keeping the poor, poor. Generation by generation, they have given the false slogan of 'gareebi hatao'. Congress looted the poor in the name of poverty elimination," reported ANI.

Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that in his 53 years of experience in politics, he never witnessed the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister campaigning in every segment of the state assembly elections.

"I have 53 years of experience (in politics), and I have contested 13 elections and won all of them except one in 2019. Following this, I became a member of the Rajya Sabha and became the Leader of Opposition there. Given the assembly elections of Maharashtra, big leaders of the BJP including the PM, Union Home Minister, and CMs of BJP-ruled states are campaigning in Maharashtra. I have never seen the Prime Minister or Union Home Minister campaigning in every segment in the state assembly elections," Kharge said addressing a press conference in Pune, reported ANI.

The Maharashtra elections 2024 will be held in a single phase on November 20, with the vote count happening on November 23.

Campaigning has intensified for the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra with both the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) making efforts to woo the electorate.

(With inputs from ANI)