Maharashtra polls: "Present govt has worsened situation for farmers": NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], November 15 (ANI): As campaigning has intensified in Maharashtra, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) chief Sharad Pawar slammed the ruling government Mahayuti, saying that the present government in the state has worsened the situation for farmers and several farmers have committed suicide.
Addressing a public rally, Sharad Pawar said, "In Maharashtra, NCP-SCP, Congress and Shivsena (UBT) decided to go in the election together... Earlier, during the last Lok Sabha elections in 2019, Congress had only one seat and we had three, but this time we got 30 seats because we fought together...The present government has worsened the situation for farmers in Maharashtra...during the last six months, several farmers committed suicide..."
Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress and accused the party of "looting" the poor in the name of poverty elimination.
Addressing a public rally at Panvel in Maharashtra, PM Modi said, "Congress always worked on the agenda of keeping the poor, poor. Generation by generation, they have given the false slogan of 'gareebi hatao'. Congress looted the poor in the name of poverty elimination."

Meanwhile, Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge said that in his 53 years of experience in politics, he never witnessed the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister campaigning in every segment in the state assembly elections.
"I have 53 years of experience (in politics), and I have contested 13 elections and won all of them except one in 2019. Following this, I became a member of the Rajya Sabha and became the Leader of Opposition there. Given the assembly elections of Maharashtra, big leaders of the BJP including the PM, Union Home Minister, and CMs of BJP-ruled states are campaigning in Maharashtra. I have never seen the Prime Minister or Union Home Minister campaigning in every segment in the state assembly elections," Kharge said addressing a press conference in Pune.
The 288 Maharashtra Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on November 20, with the vote count happening on November 23.
Campaigning has intensified for the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra with both the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) making efforts to woo the electorate. (ANI)