Pune: Amid the drought crisis, one-upmanship is playing out among Mahayuti partners— BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP— in the run-up to the teachers’ and graduates’ constituency polls. Farmer activists have vented their anger at the ruling alliance for prioritising election campaigning over providing much-needed drought relief to growers.They have demanded that the govt release financial aid immediately. Jayaji Suryavanshi, a farmer activist from Marathwada region, added, “By now, aid should have reached farmers, but it is unfortunate that politicians are busy bickering. They must rise above politics and proactively help the farming community before the situation deteriorates further.”Although senior leaders of the Mahayuti alliance claim they will fight the teachers’ and graduates’ constituency polls unitedly, a severe lack of coordination is evident. Several rebel candidates have filed nominations, posing a direct challenge to the alliance’s official picks. A day after deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde claimed during his Pune visit that Shiv Sena would campaign for BJP’s candidate, Kaustubh Gawade, for the teachers’ constituency, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that his party would instead support rebel candidate Sachin Sanap against Gawade.A similar tussle is unfolding between BJP and Shiv Sena for Amravati seat. Despite the chief minister’s party nominating its official candidate, Kiran Sarnaik, BJP rebel Dilip Kadu has thrown his hat into the ring. In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Shiv Sena and NCP are at loggerheads; Sena has threatened to withhold support from its ally even though the seat was officially allocated to NCP.Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana founder Raju Shetti said, “While the drought situation is getting worse, nobody should be talking about elections. The sole focus of the govt should be extending a helping hand to farmers. Unfortunately, that is not happening. Politicians are more interested in politics than in addressing the real issue of drought.”Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) polls for five seats in the graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies will be held on Oct 23. Among these five seats, BJP is contesting graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies in Pune division, as well as graduates’ constituency in Nagpur division. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena is contesting Amravati teachers’ constituency, and NCP has fielded its candidate for Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar graduates’ constituency.
