Shetkari Sanghatana committed to Vidarabha state: Sharad Joshi

The Shetkari Sanghatana is still committed to the concept of smaller and more manageable states and has not distanced itself from the movement for a separate Vidarbha.

This was clarified by Shetkari Sanghatana supremo Sharad Joshi on Monday at the "Vidarbha Parishad" "" a workers convention organised obviously with an eye on the forthcoming assembly elections in the state.

Sharing the dais with Joshi were Vidarbha protagonists former Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Ranjit Deshmukh and leader of the Opposition in the legislative council, Nitin Gadkari.

Joshi appeared pretty miffed at the way he was being portrayed in the region.

"I am not a betrayer of Vidarbha and have not left the movement. The movement cannot be the legacy of any one person," he said.

Joshi said that there were several other national issues that had him occupied and that Vidarbha, though important and very dear to him, could not be the only thing on his mind.

"Open market for agricultural produce, removal of state barriers in movement of farm produce and welfare of farmers will always be the first priority for the Shetkari Sanghatana," he said.

Joshi said, Vidarbha was important, but could not form the "be all and end all" for the Sanghatana.

Sanghatana was for the farmers and could not be a political party with only one agenda.

He clarified that he had joined hands with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Bharatiya Republican Party-Bahujan Mahasangh (BRP-BMS) and the Vidarbha Rajya Party (VRP) to form the Vidarbha Aghadi. However, except VRP, everybody also had other issues to attend to.

The senior leader sought to dispel allegations that he had abandoned Vidarbha for political gains having reached the Rajya Sabha with the support of the Shiv Sena. The Sena, it may be mentioned, has been opposed to creation of Vidarbha state.

Joshi said, he would try and convince Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray on the issue of carving out a separate state of Vidarbha.

Later, Gadkari heaped praise on Joshi saying that he had learnt lessons on economy from the farmers' leader.

Ranjit Deshmukh took the occasion to further needle the Congress by saying that there was a need for all like minded leaders to come together and fight for a separate state of Vidarbha.