The meeting between Pawar and PM Modi was scheduled over issues related to farmers of Maharashtra, and not the government formation in the state
New Delhi: On Wednesday NCP chief Sharad Pawar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss farmers’ issues in Maharashtra. The meeting of the two leaders comes two days after PM Modi praised the Sharad Pawar-led party during his speech in Rajya Sabha on Monday.
On the occasion of the 250th Session of the Upper House, Modi said other parties, including the BJP, should learn from the NCP and Biju Janata Dal of Naveen Patnaik how to adhere to parliamentary norms.
On November 12 the praise for the Pawar-led party comes at a time when the NCP and Congress are trying to keep the BJP away from power in Maharashtra, where the President’s rule was imposed.
Both the BJP and the ShivSena fought the Assembly elections for the 288 member House, and they bagged 105 and 56 seats, respectively. However, the alliance came undone after ShivSena chief Uddhav Thackeray demanded rotational chief ministerial post a request denied by the BJP. On the other hand, the Congress and the NCP won 44 and 54 seats, respectively in the state. ShivSena leaders are scheduled to meet Pawar later in the day.
Pawar submitted a letter to the PM seeking his “urgent intervention” to give relief to distressed farmers of Maharashtra saying that he is “collecting details and information regarding the same.”
According to sources Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was also called in by PM Modi during his meeting with Pawar. After the Pawar-Modi meeting ended, Amit Shah held a separate meeting with the prime minister.
The meeting between Sharad Pawar and PM Modi came after Sanjay Raut of the ShivSena met the NCP chief to discuss “issues related to farmers” pending government formation in Maharashtra and despite several twists and turns in the negotiation for a three-party coalition, that also involves the Congress.
The meeting between Pawar and PM Modi was scheduled over issues related to farmers of Maharashtra, and not the government formation in the state. It took place in the backdrop of reports that the Congress leadership is of the view that the party should announce a formal tie-up only after the BJP has given another shot at government formation in Maharashtra
Pawar in the memorandum said in Nashik district crops like soybean, paddy, finger millet, corns, bajra, and vegetables like tomato and onion were at the harvesting stage but incessant and unseasonable rains completely ruined them. Around 44 farmers from Nashik have committed suicide in the face of the crisis in the last 10 months. In Nagpur, cotton crops over 35,000 hectares have been damaged due to unseasonal rains, Pawar said.
“Due to President’s rule in Maharashtra, your urgent intervention is necessary. I shall be grateful if you could take immediate steps to initiate massive relief to distressed farmers,” the memorandum said.
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