Sharad Pawar with other MVA leaders during the rally in Mumbai.
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar laid out a powerful vision for the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections, underscoring the stakes for Maharashtra’s future governance and economic recovery.
“Maharashtra’s Vidhan Sabha elections are a time to decide how to run this state,” Pawar said, framing the election as a critical choice for Maharashtra’s progress.
Pawar highlighted the state’s economic decline under the BJP, noting that Maharashtra, once the leader in per capita income, has now slipped to sixth place.
“Maharashtra is an important centre of industry and business in India. We used to be the first, now we have slipped to sixth place because of the government falling into the hands of the BJP and its friends,” he emphasised, calling attention to economic mismanagement.
Turning to law and order, Pawar expressed concern over the rising incidents of crimes against women.
“At one point, Maharashtra was known to be at the forefront of law and order. Today, if you see the number of atrocities against women, you will also be worried. 40,000 women are missing across the state,” he said, underscoring the urgency of restoring safety in Maharashtra.
In a pointed critique, Pawar referenced corruption allegations surrounding the recently collapsed statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg.
“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the symbol of Maharashtra’s pride. Corruption has reached such a level in our state that in Sindhudurg, there was corruption even in the construction of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” Pawar said.
Comparing it with the statue of Shivaji at the Gateway of India in Mumbai, which has withstood years of harsh sea winds, he argued that such collapses occur only where corruption undermines construction quality.
“Those who participated in corruption even in the construction of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue in Sindhudurg have insulted him and his legacy,” he asserted.
Pawar then turned to agricultural policies, introducing a key MVA pledge for farmers. Drawing from his experience as Agriculture Minister in the UPA government, he reminded the audience of the historic Rs. 71,000 crore farm loan waiver, which lowered interest rates for farmers.
“When the Mahavikas Aghadi comes to power, we will introduce a Krishi Samruddhi Yojana with a farm loan waiver up to Rs. 3 lakh for every single farmer. For those who repay their loans on time, we will introduce an incentive of Rs. 50,000 rupees,” he announced.
“The farmer is a baliraja. He is responsible for solving the challenge of hunger of those like you and me. He has been pushed into such a bad condition that he is committing suicide. But the BJP government has not even bothered to take one look at his condition,” he said.
Pawar called this initiative a step toward restoring farmers’ dignity, addressing the distress that has driven many farmers to suicide under the current administration.
In closing, Pawar urged the crowd to support the Mahavikas Aghadi to revive Maharashtra’s economy and safeguard its agrarian community.
“I am sure that you will all support us to bring the Mahavikas Aghadi back to power and save the baliraja in Maharashtra,” he concluded.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
Subscribe and follow DH on Whatsapp, X, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram to never miss out on anything.