Mumbai, Oct 28 (NationPress) The Shiv Sena (UBT) has criticized the BJP and its central leadership for indulging in election politics and accumulating land for party offices while neglecting the pressing needs of farmers affected by rain and floods across Maharashtra. The Thackeray faction on Tuesday targeted the BJP regarding the groundbreaking ceremony of a new office for its Maharashtra unit in south Mumbai, which was officiated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday.

“Is the government, focused on enhancing the party's assets, aware of the crisis that farmers are enduring due to ongoing rains that continue to wreak havoc on crops and amplify their financial burdens?” questioned the Thackeray camp in the editorial published in Saamana.

“The relentless heavy rains over the past four months have decimated Kharif crops over 70 lakh acres, and the persistent downpours are destroying even more hectares of farmland. From Konkan to Marathwada and from western and northern Maharashtra to Vidarbha, farmers are desperate to bid farewell to the rains, yet it appears they will persist, completely annihilating their crops. While farmers grapple with this dire situation, the BJP-led government remains preoccupied with expanding party assets,” the editorial asserted.

“The rulers in Delhi are entrenched in election politics, swiftly acquiring land for party offices and inaugurating them. However, they lack the time to address farmers' urgent needs and provide necessary support.

“This year is unprecedented, with six consecutive months of rainfall from May to October. Following the formation of a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal and a cyclone, Maharashtra is experiencing unseasonal rains that are expected to last until October 30. The Meteorological Department has forecast even more rain, leaving farmers to watch helplessly as their crops are destroyed for an additional three to four days,” the editorial continued.

The Thackeray camp condemned the state government for its assertion that the term “wet drought” is nonexistent in official guidelines, thus hindering additional support for farmers impacted by this natural disaster.

“Regardless of the term 'wet drought,' the government must put aside its semantics and provide immediate assistance to farmers struggling in a year of monstrous rainfall,” it emphasized.

Intensifying its criticism of the state government for its negligence towards farmers, the editorial pointed out that neither has the government declared a “wet drought” nor dispatched a central team to evaluate crop damage in Maharashtra. The minimal assistance announced by the Maharashtra government hadn't reached farmers by Diwali, it highlighted.

The editorial indicated that continuous rains have obliterated crops across vast acres statewide. Following the devastating rains up to September, a brief respite allowed harvesting of some surviving crops, but further rains disrupted the process.

In some regions, paddy crops were on the verge of harvest when renewed rains decimated the hard work of farmers in Gadchiroli and adjacent areas in Vidarbha, as well as across Konkan.

Marathwada also faced severe impacts, with soybeans soaked due to returning rains. Maize and cotton crops suffered significant damage as well. In Nashik district, too, the return of rain severely affected onions, summer onion seedlings, vegetables, and vineyards nearing harvest. Thanks to ongoing rains and overcast conditions, grape growers' expenses for spraying have doubled this year,” it concluded.