MAHARASHTRA

Raju Shetti likely to join Congress-led UPA ahead of 2019 polls

Shetti met Rahul Gandhi and agreed to work together on farmers' issues

Raju-Shetty-amey-mansabdar (File) Raju Shetti | Amey Mansabdar

Firebrand farmers' leader and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana MP Raju Shetti is likely to join Congress-led UPA ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Shetti met Congress president Rahul Gandhi today. Though, for now, they have agreed to work together on farmers' issues, a formal announcement about Shetti's entry into the UPA seems to be round the corner.

Raju Shetti, who was part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance till last year, had gone to invite Gandhi for a national meeting of farmers' organisations in New Delhi, scheduled to be held on March 29. Shetti was accompanied by Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan and Mohan Prakash, AICC general secretary, in-charge of Maharashtra.

He had recently joined hands with Sharad Pawar's NCP to organise Sanvidhan Bachao (Save The Constitution) rally in Mumbai. That was the first sign of Shetti leaning towards the UPA.

Shetti parted ways with the NDA over issues related to agrarian crisis. Since then Shetti has been critical of Modi government as well as Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government in Maharashtra. Shetti had joined the NDA before 2014 elections and was elected to Parliament for a second time. His Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana joined the BJP government in Maharashtra and his deputy Sadabhau Khot became a minister in the Maharastra government.

However, power became the cause of the rift between Khot and Shetti and the former was expelled from Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana when he did not quit as minister when his party was at loggerheads with the BJP over agriculture policies of the Union and state governments. Shetti and his Sanghatana soon moved out of the NDA while Khot continues as minster till date.

Shetti was once a sworn enemy of the Congress-NCP style of agrarian politics in Maharashtra. He had fought a bitter battle against the sugar barons to become a legislator in 2004. Then, in 2009, he contested Lok Sabha elections by asking farmers to donate for his campaign fund. Farmers contributed overwhelmingly to express their support to his candidature and Shetti became an MP in 2009. Prior to 2014 elections, Shetti joined the BJP-led NDA and won for the second time against Congress veteran and sugar baron Kallappa Awade.

Shetti's relations with the BJP started souring when it became clear that the BJP, contrary to a pre-election promise, will not implement recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. Since then, Shetti has clashed with the BJP on a number of issues. He took out 'Atmaklesha' march from Pune to Mumbai when he and his associates walked the distance to protest BJP government's agriculture policies.

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