Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) led by former MP Raju Shetty, who broke his party's alliance with BJP and later with Maha Vikas Aghadi, on the issue of the successive government's neglect of the farmers and their plight, on Friday announced that he will not ally with BJP, especially after the change in the government but will contest upcoming local body elections independently.
Shetty made this announcement at Malshiras tehsil in Solapur district. ‘’SSS will not ally with BJP or any other party in the present political scenario as no government takes decisions to protect the interest of the farmers. The farmers’ plight continues unabated,’’ he noted.
‘’I am saddened that there is no democracy prevalent in the present government. Therefore, SSS has taken a policy decision not to stitch an alliance with any party but to go solo in the ensuing local body elections. Besides, SSS will also not form an alliance with BJP in the Maharashtra state assembly and Lok Sabha elections,’’ said Shetty.
Shetty said the upcoming Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad elections will be contested independently with a farmers’ interest in focus.
As reported by the Free Press Journal, Shetty, who was a close ally of the BJP between 2014 and 2019, broke the alliance ahead of the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections in 2019. Later, SSS became the Maha Vikas Aghadi government ally. However, Shetty announced his decision to walk out of the MVA government on April 5 blaming it for its apathy towards farmers. Shetti announced its decision after his party’s executive meeting held today in Kolhapur.
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