No tie-up with MNS: Chavan

Pune: State Congress President Ashok Chavan on Friday said that the Congress would not form an alliance with MIM and MNS and it is in dialogue with NCP on the issue of alliance. Chavan said that the party is also in touch with Prakash Ambedkar, who leads the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and farmer leader Raju Shetti, on the alliance issue. 

Chavan was addressing a press meet at Congress Bhavan on Friday.

Speaking at the event, Chavan said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has failed to deliver their promises made to farmers.”The data provided by the government on budget day is flawed.They have declared a help of Rs 17 per day to farmers, which an insult to them.This is lower than the Minimum Wages Act.We all know that NPA is rising from last five years and BJP is claiming just the opposite,” he added.

Speaking on farmers’ woes, Chavan said that BJP government had assured doubling of their income by 2022, but farmers can bee seen struggling for Minimum Support Price (MSP). “Onion farmers, tomato farmers can be seen dumping their produce on road. Milk producers are also throwing away their product. Farmer suicides continues to be a reality. Agriculture growth is at 2.1 per cent, which is quite low.
 
There is unemployment across the state which can be seen by the number of people applying for jobs in different sectors. For 1,416 jobs in agriculture sector, 52,000 people had applied,” Chavan said.

The Congress had recently claimed that the Maharashtra Assembly may be dissolved on February 28 after the budget presentation, paving the way for simultaneous elections with the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

However, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis rejected the contention. Chavan said that he has strong sources based on which he came up with the dates.

Recently, while addressing a party workers’ rally as part of the ongoing pre-election campaign in Aurangabad on Thursday, Chavan said the State government was planning for simultaneous elections this year.

“The State Assembly will be dissolved immediately after the budget is tabled this month. Keeping this in view, all party activists across the state must get down to work immediately. We will elect a candidate who will be a leader of the masses,” the State Congress President added.