Amid NDA buzz, Sharad Pawar meets PM Modi, flags Maharashtra farm crisis

Following the meeting, the NCP (SP) released the memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister, urging the Centre to intervene in what Pawar described as a deepening farm crisis.

“The farmer does not merely want relief, grants or loan waivers, but a fair price for their hard work and a transparent, accountable administration,” Pawar wrote, urging the Centre to address policy failures, improve water management and ensure effective implementation of welfare schemes.

Pawar said agriculture had been hit by erratic rainfall, drought, inadequate irrigation and poor water management, while administrative apathy, policy shortcomings and poor implementation of schemes had compounded farmers’ distress.

He said, on average, one farmer dies by suicide every three hours in Maharashtra and that more than 2,700 farmers in Vidarbha and Marathwada had died by suicide in a year. He also highlighted delays in compensation to affected families, attributing them to cumbersome verification procedures and administrative delays, and sought faster digital verification and direct transfer of aid.

Pawar also demanded an independent third-party audit of irrigation projects and the Jal Jeevan Mission, alleging poor implementation, corruption, political interference and contractor negligence.

The meeting assumed political significance as it came amid Opposition protests over the alleged NEET paper leak and a day after Pawar met students protesting in Delhi.

Seeking to quell speculation, Maharashtra NCP (SP) president Shashikant Shinde said there was “no proposal” for the party to join the NDA.

“I have said this many times before that we have no proposal regarding joining the NDA. The meeting with Prime Minister need not be about joining alliance or switching over to other side. I respectfully request all of you to stop speculating about us joining NDA every time such meeting takes place,” Shinde said.