Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday slammed Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for campaigning in the assembly elections in Telengana at a time when farmers of Maharashtra were facing severe crop losses owing to unseasonal rains.
He said it was most unfortunate that Shinde prioritised politics over the problems of people in his home state. Shinde had gone to Telengana to campaign for BJP candidates in that state. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis too had toured the poll-bound states.
Thackeray demanded at a press conference that a meeting of the state cabinet should be held immediately to discuss the farmers' issue and decide on the compensation to be given to them for the loss of crop.
Govt not doing enough for farmers
He accused the state government of doing precious little for the farmers despite the advance weather bureau warning of unseasonal rains.
He said six people have lost their lives due in the rains in the state, while 100 cattle have also perished.
Grape and onion cultivators in Maharashtra have also been affected by the rains, the former chief minister said.
1 lakh hectare of land affected due to unseasonal rains
Thackeray said a preliminary information he has received suggests that nearly one lakh hectare of land under cultivation in Marathwada, Vidarbha and north Maharashtra was affected due to unseasonal rains since last three-four days.
"There is no government in Maharashtra as everyone is busy in campaigning. It is time to change the government," Thackeray said.
"A person who does not bother about his own house (state) and goes to another state to campaign for another party is not fit to run the government and he has no right to be in power," the Sena (UBT) leader claimed.
Sena vs Sena in Telangana
Shinde visited Telangana on Tuesday to campaign for the BJP. The assembly polls in Telangana are scheduled on November 30.
The Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the BJP are allies in Maharashtra.
"The chief minister who cannot handle his own house and is peeping into homes of others cannot give justice to the state," Thackeray said.
Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar are also "missing in action", he claimed.
Thackeray also targeted the ruling BJP saying while it is busy distributing "revdis" (doles) in other states, it has done nothing for Maharashtra. He said the BJP was promising to reduce the price of cooking gas if voted to power the five states where assembly polls are being held. ``But what about states like Maharashtra where the BJP is in power? Why is it not reducing prices here?, " he asked.
