A fierce battle of nerves broke out between the ruling saffron alliance partners on Thursday, with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis going to town that the BJP was prepared for mid-term polls and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray accusing Fadnavis of plans to advance the polls just to avoid farm loan waiver.
Four days after the BJP-led Maharashtra Government announced a blanket loan waiver for the farmers in the State, Fadnavis sought to call the Sena’s bluff, by indirectly daring his party’s ally to withdraw its support to his Government and saying that his party was prepared for the mid-term polls.
Taking a covert jibe at the ruling Sena for its black mailing tactics, Fadnavis said “Some people said (when the agitation was on) that they will bring the Government down, will withdraw support. I said we are ready for mid-term polls. If someone wants to impel us to go for mid-term polls, I am confident we will be able to form the Government again.”
Fadnavis was reacting to a recent statement by Sena’s spokesperson Sanjay Raut that there would soon be a political earthquake in the State and the subsequent clarification by Uddhav himself that Maharashtra would indeed witness political earthquake if the State Government did not waive farm loans.
In a swift but combative response to the Chief Minister’s assertion that the BJP was prepared for the mid-term polls, Uddhav said “If the BJP has money for the mid-polls, it should better give it to farmers. In return, the Shiv Sena will continue to give its support to this Government. But, if the BJP plans to go in for mid-term polls to avoid farm loan waiver announced by it a few days ago, then the Sena will not let Fadnavis succeed in his intention to advance the polls.”
Talking to media persons at Buldhana in eastern Maharashtra, Uddhav said that the Shiv Sena would stand by the distressed farmers in the State till such time that the State Government did not waive farm loans. “From the looks of it, the Devendra Fadnavis Government is trying to side-step the farm loan waiver issue That’s why the Chief Minister is indulging in mid-term poll term poll talk.”
“We are keeping a close watch on the implementation of the loan waiver decision. There is no question of compromise on the issue, even if we are to lose power. There will definitely be political earthquake in the State if Fadnavis fails to implement the farm loan waiver,” Uddhav said.