Raju Shetti, Thackeray join hands to counter Adani

Mumbai: Prominent farmer leader Raju Shetti and the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray have decided to work together to counter what they call undue favours to the Adani group across Maharashtra. As per their plan, Shetti will hold protests against favours granted to Adani group projects in the state’s rural areas that are likely to affect the agrarian community, while Thackeray will support these agitations. Similarly, the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena will hold protests against Adani group projects in urban areas, with Shetti playing a supporting role.

The development assumes significance in the backdrop of Shiv Sena (UBT)’s ongoing agitation against the Dharavi redevelopment project for alleged irregularities worth ₹100 crore and undue favours from the state government.

“We discussed raising our voice against undue favours given to the Adani group in rural and urban areas and supporting each other in these protests. Thackeray has already raised his voice against the Dharavi redevelopment project. I am going to raise the issue of spike in farmers suicides during the tour of Marathwada (January 15 onwards),” said Shetti, a two-term member of parliament from the Hatkanangale Lok Sabha constituency in Kolhapur district who lost to Shiv Sena’s Dhairyasheel Mane in the 2019 poll. Mane is part of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction.

Marathwada has a large number of soybean producers who have been badly affected by the central government’s decision to slash import duty on palm oil, allegedly to favour Adani’s oil business. The rate of soybean has dropped by around 50%, plunging farmers in deep financial crisis, explained Shetti, who parted ways with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in 2017. Shiv Sena (UBT), which has been vocal on farmers’ issues, has a good base in Marathwada.

Shetti and Thackeray also decided to jointly take up the issue of hydro power projects by the Adani group in Konkan and Kolhapur. The Konkan project will affect Sindhudurg district, where the Thackeray faction has strong presence, whereas the Kolhapur project will affect agriculture in the region, which is a stronghold of Shetti.

The meeting between Thackeray and Shetti raised several eyebrows in political circles, as Shiv Sena (UBT) had mooted the idea of Shetti joining the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance and contesting from the Hatkanangale several times. Shetti, however, denied the possibility, saying he and his supporters would contest from six Lok Sabha constituencies including Hatkangale, Kolhapur, Sangli, Madha, Parbhani and Buldhana on their own.