Congress split over Sangharsh Yatra
The Sangharsh Yatra organised by the opposition parties, mainly Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to highlight the farmers’ issues, has exposed differences between the leaders of Congress party. Senior Congress leaders and former ministers Nitin Raut, Vilas Muttemwar have not participated in this air conditioned bus ride across the state. Party insiders admitted that since they are not getting support from the farmers a few of the legislators will leave the rally midway.
The opposition party legislators including Samajwadi Party and All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) have joined this Sangharsh Yatra along with Congress and NCP after 19 legislators were recently suspended for a period, till the end of this year.
The yatra began from Chandrapur, where Bharatiya Janata Party is in the majority. The yatra went through Yeotmal and Wardha and has now entered the Marathwada region through Hingoli district.
“During the route, the former Congress minister Dr Nitin Raut, Legislator Muzaffar Husain, Vilas Muttemwar the former union minister have not participated as they have been marginalised by the state leadership,” said one of the Congress legislators.
Dr. Raut admitted that he was being ignored by Ashok Chavan, the president of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC). “I lost in the 2014 assembly elections by a small margin. Yet I am tirelessly working for my party. It was with my efforts that the Congress got success in the farmers’ protest that was organised in Nagpur in December last year.” Dr. Raut added, “Even after that, Chavan backed Muttemwar and completely ignored me in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation polls.”
Another Congress leader from Vidarbha, Husain was seen in Vidhan Bhavan whereas Muttemwar was not available for his comment.
Pandurang alias Bhausaheb Fundkar BJP minister for agriculture claimed that the opposition is not getting positive response from the farmers. “Last year was a good year for the farmers due to better climate, as a result there has been a bumper crop of Tur, cotton and Soya beans. This is the reason why farmers are not supporting this Sangharsh Yatra,” Fundkar.
The Congress leader admitted that not more than 200 farmers had gathered to hear speeches of these leaders.