Reeling under the onslaught of probes by central enforcement agencies, the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress received another setback after Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) chief Raju Shetti on Tuesday official announced his outfit’s exit from the MVA coalition.
Mr. Shetti, an influential farmer leader in Maharashtra’s ‘sugar belt’ districts of Kolhapur and Sangli, had been disaffected with the MVA parties since October last year over the payment of the fair and remunerative price (FRP) to farmers. Mr. Shetti has been criticising the State government’s practice of paying FRP to farmers in two instalments instead of at one go.
Making the announcement at the SSS’ executive meet in Kolhapur, he, however said he would not be joining the BJP’s ranks and that his outfit would henceforth fight on its own for the interests of Maharashtra’s farmers.
