New Delhi: A day after the Congress party hinted that farm distress would be one of its key poll planks in the 2019 polls, Lok Sabha member Raju Shetti-led Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana offered to work with it over farmers’ issues. Shetti met Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Monday to invite him to a farmers convention on 29 March.
“As far as the electoral alliance with Congress is concerned, our party will discuss it first. So far, we have decided to work jointly on farmers’ issues,” Shetti told reporters after the meeting according to the Press Trust of India. A possible alliance with Shetti could bolster Congress’ charges on farmer distress against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.
The meeting on Monday was also attended by Congress general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra, Mohan Prakash, state unit chief Ashok Chavan and senior party leader Mukul Wasnik. Congress leaders are hopeful that a pre-poll alliance with Shetti’s party, which was earlier with the NDA, could be struck ahead of both assembly and general elections.