Mumbai: Farmer leader Raju Shetti’s departure from the ruling alliance will not make the BJP government unstable as of now. But it may have a hand in strengthening the perception that BJP is an anti-farmer party. Mr Shetti’s departure coincides with a BJP Vidarbha MP attacking CM Devendra Fadnavis over farm loan waiver package announced in June. Also, it comes at a time when the state government is under the scanner for its alleged inability in smoothly implementing the farm loan waiver package. Mr Shetti, who has been positioning himself as an aggressive farmers’ leader, especially of the state’s sugar belt, is likely to intensify his attack on the government.
Mr Shetti had joined hands with BJP in 2013. Then BJP strongman Gopinath Munde had engineered the ‘Mahayuti’ roping in five parties. BJP won 42 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats. Later in assembly elections, Shiv Sena parted ways with BJP but Mr Shetti stood with BJP only. But as Mr Shetti saw BJP poaching his party and targeting him in his Hatkanangale LS constituency, firebrand farmer leaders started keeping distance from BJP. In farmer’s strike from June, Mr Shetti hit roads against BJP. But it has not broken the alliance officially.
Reckoned as a shrewd politician, Mr Shetti chose to declare his break-up on the background of Mr Fadnavis coming under fire for no implementation of farmer loan waiver in state. The unrest against Mr Fadnavis is so high within the party that its MP Nana Patole from Bhandara Gondia constituency has recently lambasted state leadership for making the loan waiver unrealistic.
At the same time, opposition parties like Congress and NCP are also trying to gather their forces on the farmers issues and are likely to hold protests all over state. Mr Shetti used this momentum building against BJP to leave the alliance. "No doubt, Mr Shetti is credible among farmers. The only problem before him is his popularity does not help him in ballot machines. But still he can dent BJP's plans on minimum 400 assembly seats," said Prakash Powar, political analyst from Pune.
