Shiv Sena chief Uddhav meets rain-affected farmers in Aurangabad

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray met the farmers who suffered losses due to heavy rains on Sunday in Aurangabad district. Thackeray interacted with the affected farmers and urged them to stay strong during these difficult times. Thackeray is touring Aurangabad district where he will take stock of the crop losses in Kannad and Vaijapur talukas and is also scheduled to address a press conference later in the day. Earlier, on Thursday, Shiv Sena MLAs met Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and urged him to declare a 'wet drought' in the State and also urged the Governor and the Centre to compensate the farmers for their crop loss. 

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CM Fadnavis visits Akola

While Sena chief tours Aurangabad, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis visited Akola on Sunday to meet farmers and review the crop damage caused in the district due to untimely rains, an official in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. The State Government on Saturday approved Rs. 10,000 crore as a special provision to provide immediate assistance to farmers affected by unseasonal rains. Crops like jowar, paddy, cotton, maize, tur and soyabean on 54.22 lakh hectares spread across 325 talukas in some districts have been damaged, Fadnavis said after a review meeting on Friday. During a Cabinet sub-committee meeting on Saturday, CM Fadnavis directed the officials concerned to review the ground situation in their respective areas and finalise details of the assistance to be provided.

READ | Fadnavis, Uddhav Tour Rain-hit Areas Amid Impasse Over Government

The State witnessed unprecedented post monsoon showers this year, especially due to cyclones in the Arabian Sea. Most of the crop damage due to untimely showers was caused in the second and third weeks of October. State Transport Minister Diwakar Raote on Saturday visited farmlands affected by heavy rains in Akola to assess crop damage.

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NCP chief: 'Will sit in Opposition'

Amid power tussle in Maharashtra, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said on Friday that the people have asked the NCP to sit in the opposition and the party will do that. Speaking to reporters in Nashik, he also termed the tussle between the BJP and its ally Shiv Sena over sharing of the Chief Minister's post as "childish". The BJP and Shiv Sena, which contested the Maharashtra assembly poll jointly, won 105 and 56 seats respectively. The NCP and Congress have clinched 54 and 44 seats respectively. Asked about the possibility of the Shiv Sena forming government with the support of the NCP and the Congress, Pawar said that there was no discussion in his party in this regard. "We do not have a clear majority. People have asked us to sit in the opposition," he said.

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