Maharashtra drought list sparks MahaYuti rift, MVA cries political favouritism
Synopsis
Maharashtra's drought notification has exposed a fault line within the MahaYuti coalition itself — 28 ministers' constituencies made the list, high-rainfall zones like Mahabaleshwar feature in it, and prominent allied ministers' talukas were left out. An audio clip of a BJP MP counselling restless workers has gone viral, and one MLA quietly had his inclusion plea removed from social media after it was granted — a sequence that lays bare how political the supposedly technical exercise has become.
Key Takeaways
The MahaYuti government classified 265 of 358 talukas across 36 districts as drought-affected.
The list covers talukas corresponding to the constituencies of 28 ruling alliance ministers , including Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar and CM Devendra Fadnavis .
High-rainfall areas — Mahabaleshwar , Radhanagari , and Shrivardhan — are included, raising questions about evaluation criteria.
Several ministers' constituencies, including those of Shambhuraj Desai , Hasan Mushrif , and Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil , were excluded, fuelling intra-coalition resentment.
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar has written to Fadnavis demanding ₹1 lakh per hectare relief for affected farmers.
Officials warn that losses in the 2026 Kharif season could have a direct ripple effect on the rural economy.
A significant political controversy has engulfed Maharashtra after the MahaYuti government last week classified 265 talukas across 36 districts as drought-affected, with the list triggering sharp internal dissent within the ruling coalition and drawing fierce condemnation from the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which has alleged 'political favouritism' in the selection process.
What the Drought Notification Says
Of Maharashtra's 358 talukas, only 265 have been included in the drought declaration. Notably, the list encompasses the Assembly constituencies of 28 ministers in the MahaYuti government. Among the ministers whose talukas feature in the notification are Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar (Baramati), Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule (Kamthi), Chhagan Bhujbal (Yeola), Girish Mahajan (Jamner), Gulabrao Patil (Jalgaon Rural), Dadaji Bhuse (Malegaon Outer), Sanjay Rathod (Digras), Uday Samant (Ratnagiri), and Pankaja Munde (Parli).
Other constituencies covered include those of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (Nagpur South-West), Sanjay Shirsat (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), Nitesh Rane (Kankavli), Akash Fundkar (Khamgaon), and Babasaheb Patil (Ahmadpur), among others.
Adding to the controversy, the notification also includes demonstrably high-rainfall regions such as Mahabaleshwar, Radhanagari, and Shrivardhan — raising serious questions about the transparency and objectivity of the evaluation metrics used.
Excluded Talukas Fuel Ruling Coalition Resentment
Several talukas represented by prominent ruling alliance ministers have been left out of the drought list, sharpening accusations that political considerations influenced the final selection. Among the excluded constituencies are those of Shinde Sena minister Shambhuraj Desai (Patan), Hasan Mushrif (Kagal), Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil (Shirdi), Narhari Zirwal (Dindori), Yogesh Kadam (Dapoli), and Bharat Gogawale (Mahad).
The discontent has spilled into the public domain. An audio clip purportedly featuring Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ashok Chavan went viral on social media, in which he is heard advising disgruntled party workers to temporarily endure public criticism over their taluka's exclusion. Separately, BJP MLA Sumit Wankhede submitted a letter to Chief Minister Fadnavis seeking the inclusion of his Arvi constituency. After Fadnavis reportedly acceded to the request, Wankhede removed his public post containing the letter from social media.
MVA Launches Scathing Attack
The Opposition MVA moved swiftly to capitalise on the controversy. Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said, 'The government should be ashamed of playing politics over a sensitive issue like drought. While farmers across Maharashtra are battling severe distress, this shameless MahaYuti government is engaging in discriminatory politics.'
Wadettiwar alleged that his constituency of Brahmapuri — which he described as severely drought-affected — was deliberately omitted from the list, and questioned why no government minister had visited opposition-held areas. 'Are opposition constituencies not part of Maharashtra?' he asked.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar wrote to Chief Minister Fadnavis demanding financial assistance of ₹1 lakh per hectare for affected farmers. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MLA Aaditya Thackeray also raised concerns about worsening drinking water shortages and a rise in farmer suicides.
Economic Ripple Effects and Scrutiny of Water Schemes
Officials from the Relief and Rehabilitation Department warned that significant losses in the 2026 Kharif season could cripple the broader rural economy. 'Farmers are the backbone of the rural economy. With their purchasing power exhausted due to crop failure, the overall economy will face a direct ripple effect,' a senior official said.
The crisis has also revived scrutiny of the government's flagship Jalyukt Shivar water conservation initiative, which centred on widening and deepening riverbeds and streams. This controversy surfaces within four months of the Fadnavis government announcing the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Farmer Loan Waiver, underscoring the continued political sensitivity around agrarian distress in the state.
What Fadnavis Has Said
Amid mounting pressure from both sides, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis offered assurances that areas omitted from the official drought notification would not be deprived of government relief. No further details on the mechanism for extending aid to excluded talukas have been announced as yet, and the political battle over the list shows little sign of abating.
Point of View
In the coalition's own voice, that the list was not purely a scientific exercise. With the Kharif season losses now expected to suppress rural purchasing power statewide, the cost of this political management is likely to be felt well beyond the affected constituencies.
NationPress
1 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has Maharashtra's drought taluka list sparked a political controversy?
The MahaYuti government's list of 265 drought-affected talukas includes constituencies of 28 ruling alliance ministers and high-rainfall zones like Mahabaleshwar, while excluding areas held by other allied ministers. The Opposition MVA has alleged that the selection was driven by political considerations rather than objective drought assessment criteria.
Which areas were left out of the Maharashtra drought notification?
Several constituencies of ruling Shinde Sena and allied ministers were excluded, including Shambhuraj Desai's Patan, Hasan Mushrif's Kagal, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil's Shirdi, Narhari Zirwal's Dindori, Yogesh Kadam's Dapoli, and Bharat Gogawale's Mahad. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar also alleged his constituency Brahmapuri was deliberately omitted despite being severely drought-hit.
What relief has been demanded for Maharashtra's drought-affected farmers?
NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar has written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis demanding financial assistance of ₹1 lakh per hectare for farmers affected by the drought. Chief Minister Fadnavis has assured that areas not on the official list will also receive government relief, though the mechanism has not been detailed.
What is the broader economic impact of the 2026 Maharashtra drought?
Officials from the Relief and Rehabilitation Department have warned that significant losses in the 2026 Kharif season could cripple the rural economy by depleting farmers' purchasing power, creating a wider economic ripple effect. The crisis has also renewed scrutiny of the government's Jalyukt Shivar water conservation initiative.
How has the controversy affected the MahaYuti coalition internally?
The exclusion of several talukas represented by ruling alliance legislators has triggered resentment within the coalition's own cadre. An audio clip purportedly of BJP MP Ashok Chavan advising workers to endure public criticism over the exclusion went viral, and BJP MLA Sumit Wankhede had to personally petition the Chief Minister to include his Arvi constituency — later deleting the post after the request was granted.
