The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has criticised Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over his visit to drought-affected parts of the state, calling the tour a “farce”. Opposition leaders alleged that their MLAs and farmers accompanying them were prevented from meeting the chief minister during his visit.
The criticism came a day after Fadnavis toured drought-hit areas of Latur, Dharashiv and Solapur to assess crop damage and interact with farmers. MVA leaders alleged that the visit was organised in a way that allowed the chief minister to primarily meet supporters of the ruling BJP. The BJP rejected the charge and accused the opposition of politicising farmers’ distress.
MVA questions Chief Minister’s visit
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Kailas Patil, who represents a constituency in Dharashiv district, alleged that he waited with affected farmers to submit a memorandum to Fadnavis but was not allowed to meet him.
Patil said that while an MLA could find another opportunity to meet the chief minister, farmers affected by the drought might not have the same access. He argued that the chief minister’s visit offered an important opportunity for farmers to directly explain their difficulties.
The opposition MLA also alleged that heavy police deployment restricted the movement of farmers during the visit. According to Patil, police used ropes to prevent some farmers from approaching the chief minister while BJP supporters were allowed to interact with him. These claims were made by the opposition and have not been independently established.
Farmers face severe crop losses
The political dispute comes amid serious agricultural distress in parts of Maharashtra following inadequate rainfall.
A drought assessment in Dharashiv found substantial damage to kharif crops. According to the assessment reported by The Times of India, around 70% to 80% of the crop area examined was considered unlikely to recover even if rainfall returned. Farmers have been waiting for government assistance as losses affect their livelihoods.
Former Maharashtra minister and NCP (SP) leader Rajesh Tope also questioned the usefulness of political visits at this stage. He said farmers had suffered major crop losses and were waiting for financial assistance from the government.
Tope called on the state government to speed up the release of aid instead of focusing on visits to affected areas.
BJP rejects opposition allegations
The BJP has rejected the MVA’s criticism of the chief minister’s tour.
BJP MLA Ranajagjitsinha Patil, who is also from Dharashiv district, said Fadnavis visited the affected areas to understand the seriousness of the drought-like conditions and support distressed farmers.
He accused the opposition of politicising the issue instead of working to assist the farming community.
The state government has maintained that it is taking steps to address the agricultural situation. Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne said the government has approached the Centre seeking relaxation of certain norms related to drought relief.
Maharashtra seeks relaxation of relief norms
The Maharashtra government has written to the Centre seeking changes to requirements for providing drought assistance to farmers.
Under existing guidelines described by state officials, reports submitted for compensation require physical surveys as well as satellite imagery of affected farms. Fadnavis has written to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan seeking relaxation of the satellite-image requirement, according to the state agriculture minister.
Bharne said relaxing the requirement could allow more affected farmers to receive compensation and could also assist them in accessing crop insurance benefits.
The minister also said Maharashtra would not wait for a separate central package before beginning its own relief process. According to him, the government recognises the seriousness of the drought-like situation and plans to release funds after the required notification is issued.
Drought notification expected soon
Fadnavis has said the first drought notification is expected to be issued within the coming days. The notification would be an important administrative step towards providing assistance to affected farmers.
State ministers have also been visiting rain-deficit districts and meeting farmers to assess the situation. The government has announced plans for broader relief for farmers affected by the dry conditions.
The agricultural situation has also prompted authorities to take measures related to irrigation. Water from the Khadakwasla dam is being released earlier than usual for rabi crops in rural areas of Pune district because of inadequate rainfall and the risk of further crop damage.
Political dispute grows over farmer relief
The latest disagreement between the MVA and the BJP has added a political dimension to the agricultural crisis.
The MVA maintains that elected opposition representatives and affected farmers should have been given an opportunity to directly raise their concerns during the chief minister’s visit. The BJP, meanwhile, says the visit was intended to assess conditions and that the opposition is politicising the situation.
Beyond the political disagreement, the immediate issue for farmers remains the timing and scale of government assistance. Crop damage in affected districts has increased pressure on the administration to complete assessments and release compensation.
The coming drought notification and subsequent relief measures will determine how assistance is distributed across affected regions. Farmers in drought-hit areas are now waiting for the state government to translate its announcements into financial and agricultural support.