Will hit the roads to get relief for flood victims, says Sharad Pawar

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is planning to hit the roads in support of floods victims from Sangli, Kolhapur and Satara districts.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said that the party will start an agitation if their demands of providing relief to floods victim are not met. Pawar will be meeting the chief minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis with a charter of demands for flood-affected victims on August 20. Floods wreaked havoc in all three districts of western Maharashtra that were once known as NCP’s bastions. Since then, the NCP chief, senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar, along with other leaders of the party have been visiting the affected areas and trying to provide relief to the victims. It is speculated that with this threat, the NCP is looking to regain its lost ground.

On Sunday, while addressing office-bearers of the state women wing of the party in Mumbai, Pawar said, “I am meeting the chief minister on August 20. If our demands are accepted, then it is fine, else we will come on the road.”

“Despite many people coming forward to help flood victims, I am happy that the NCP played a major role in the cause. People don’t forget those who stand with them in crucial times,” the NCP chief said.

Meanwhile, state NCP chief Jayant Patil slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] for poaching their leaders. “Ahead of the state Assembly elections, the BJP is picking up the leaders groomed by us. I can say it is the ‘Congressification’ of the BJP,” Patil said.

“It [BJP] should give a chance to its party workers rather than inducting our people. The BJP has lost its credibility and thus, taking our leaders. It is more important to have people who can stitch [groomed leaders] than the ones who simply buy ready-made clothes. They [defected NCP leaders] have switched their loyalties, but what about their followers and party workers?” he said.