Sena puts up posters outside BJP’s Mumbai office praising Uddhav for farm loan waiver

Mumbai city news: Party members said the pressure exerted on the Devendra Fadnavis regime led to a victory for farmers

After protesting against its own government by backing the farmers’ agitation, the Shiv Sena is now attempting take credit for the Maharashtra government’s decision to grant a loan waiver to all needy farmers in the state.

Officials said the posters would be removed in a day (HT File Photo)

Local Sena leaders have put up banners outside its ally Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) office in South Mumbai’s Nariman Point saying farmers achieved a wonderful victory under the leadership of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.

“The Shiv Sena has not officially put up these posters. Our local leaders have put them up out of their own enthusiasm. The party officially never puts up posters or banners,” a senior Sena leader said. He, however, added that it was because of the Sena chief’s perseverance right from the beginning and the pressure exerted by the party on the Devendra Fadnavis regime that the government finally decided to concede the farmers demands. “Sena workers are happy about it and the posters are a manifestation of that. They will be removed in a day,”he added.

Farmers in Maharashtra were protesting from June 1 demanding a loan waiver, a minimum support price and implementation of other recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission.

The Shiv Sena, which had joined the opposition in stalling legislative proceedings over the issue during budget session, backed the farmers right from the start of the agitation, with their leaders even taking to the roads to press the farmers’ demands. Sena ministers even skipped a cabinet meeting saying they first wanted clarity from the government about how it planned to solve the issue, and also wanted to be taken on board in the process.