PUNE: Two Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLAs from Solapur district were conspicuously absent during party president Sharad Pawar’s drought assessment tour on Sunday, prompting a party spokesperson to demand immediate disciplinary action against them. Because of the water crisis, meanwhile, Pawar announced ₹ 50 lakh in financial assistance for drought-hit Tulshi village in Madha taluka, where farmers had recently put up banners threatening to sell the village.
“Voters elected them looking toward respected Sharad Pawar saheb, not looking toward them. Pawar added that he had submitted a written note to the chief minister about the measures required to tackle the drought situation a month ago. Former deputy chief minister Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil, MP Dhairyashil Mohite-Patil, Mohol MLA Raju Khare and Madha MLA Abhijeet Patil accompanied Pawar during the tour.
“Those 2/3 MLAs from Solapur district are repeatedly violating party discipline and appearing to take inconsistent stances with the party. Recalling the 1972 drought, when he was the guardian minister of Solapur district, Pawar said the government extended whatever assistance it could to farmers then. Noting the present water shortage in Tulshi, he announced ₹ 50 lakh in assistance for the village and handed over the cheque to MP Dhairyashil Mohite-Patil, asking him to submit it to the district collector.
The party should take immediate action against them,” Lawande said. They should keep this in mind,” he said. Pawar also said that “when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Baramati, MPs Supriya Sule and Dhairyashil Mohite-Patil will be given time to present farmers’ concerns to him”. He also said that he would meet the chief minister after completing his drought assessment tour of Marathwada.
