A day after he met Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, former MP Raju Shetti said his party Swabhimani Paksha would fight six Lok Sabha seats on their own in the upcoming 2024 elections. Shetti, who is the founder of the farmer’s union Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, said he has decided to keep equidistance from both the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and the BJP-led Mahayuti. “We have received direct and indirect feelers from both teams but we will go on our own,” he said. Shetti’s meeting with Uddhav had created ripples in political circles as speculation was rife regarding the farm leader joining the MVA. However, Shetti scotched the possibilities saying he had made it clear to Uddhav that the farm union and its political arm had decided to go independent in the elections. “Our meeting was to discuss the protests against the diversion of waters from the Patgaon dam in Bhudargad taluka for a hydroelectric power plant in Sindhudurg district,” he said. Shiv Sena, Shetti said, was known to take up people’s issues and thus he had reached out to Uddav for his support. During the course of their talk, the subject of Shetti joining the MVA came up. “However, I told him that I have problems with the policies of the MVA and thus have decided to go independent,” he revealed. Shetti said his party would contest the seats of Kolhapur, Hatkhanagale Madha, Sangli, Parbhani and Buldhana in 2024. MVA leaders had earlier expressed confidence that Shetti would join their alliance but the former MP denied all such talks. “We have been indirectly approached by the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti but we would not join hands with anyone,” he said. The two-time MP from Hatkanagale constituency in Kolhapur district was defeated by Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) leader Dhairyasheel Mane in 2019. His party had seen senior leaders defecting, including the lone MLA Devendra Bhuyar. Shetti had fought the elections as part of the MVA but decided to part ways later on. Over the last year or so, he has fought hard to win back lost ground especially in the sugarcane belt of Sangli and Kolhapur.
