Shirdi Meeting constituency, which falls in Maharashtra’s drought-hit Ahilyanagar district (previously Ahmednagar), is witnessing an electoral contest centered across the subject of water – each for ingesting in addition to farming functions. Pressured to buy water for his or her day-to-day wants, voters allege they’ve been struggling for each drop even because the state authorities and other people’s representatives did nothing concrete to alleviate their distress.
All eyes are on Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil who’s contesting for the eighth consecutive time from Shirdi, this time on a BJP ticket. A number of voters accuse him of not being severe in addressing their water woes throughout his 35-year tenure. The Opposition, together with the BJP insurgent camp, accuses Vikhe-Patil of caring for nothing however his circle of relatives’s welfare. Regardless of being upset with him, die-hard BJP supporters affirm that they are going to nonetheless vote for him because it considerations their saffron ideology.
Vikhe-Patil is being challenged by Congress candidate Prabhavati Ghogare and BJP insurgent candidate Dr Rajendra Pipada. Whereas Ghogare is contesting for the primary time, it’s Pipada’s second time. Throughout the 2009 polls, Pipada had given an actual fright to Vikhe-Patil after he appeared to steer through the first 13 rounds, solely to finally lose by 6,000 votes. Ghogare, who was with the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Pary (NCP-SP), has now entered the fray on a Congress ticket because the celebration has been historically contesting the seat. It’s anticipated that Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra will deal with a rally to spice up her possibilities.
Vikhe-Patil, a seven-time legislator
The son of sugar baron and educationist Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil, one in every of Ahmednagar’s hottest leaders, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil was first elected as an MLA on a Congress ticket from Shirdi seat in 1995, then in 1999 when he gained on a Shiv Sena ticket. In 2019, he was with the BJP when he emerged victorious. Of the seven instances he has been elected, Vikhe-Patil gained as a Congress candidate 5 instances.
This time, he appears to be going through voters’ ire over the perennial water scarcity they usually allegedly blame him for “not rising to their expectations and never doing sufficient” regardless of all his years in energy. Voters additionally level out that regardless that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in March this yr inaugurated a canal community from the Nilwande dam, the water has failed to succeed in them.
‘Buying jars of water’
Dattatreya Ghorphade, 73, a farmer from Kelwad village in Rahata taluka which is a part of Shirdi constituency, mentioned, “So far as ingesting water is anxious, we’ve got to buy a jar every single day. A neighborhood individual has began a unit and is now supplying our every day inventory. A jar prices Rs 15. We’re all depending on this jar water.
Ghorpade mentioned he owns six acres of farmland and grows jowar, maize and soyabean. “This yr I invested Rs 50,000 and my revenue was zero as a result of there was no water. It doesn’t rain right here. We thought we’ll get water from the Nilwande dam canal, however they’re nonetheless busy finishing up the exams greater than six months after the canal community was inaugurated by PM Modi,” the farmer lamented.
When the Prime Minister arrived for the inauguration, they had been instructed that 180 villages in six talukas of the district would profit from the canal. “Apart from, we had been instructed that water will likely be distributed utilizing pipe networks. We thought we might additionally get ingesting water from this pipeline. However nothing has occurred thus far,” he mentioned.
Vijay Ghodge, one other farmer, defined, “I had additionally invested Rs 30,000 in Ghorpade’s farm however earned solely Rs 12,000 because the crop bought burnt because of the lack of rain or water availability. Now we have been repeatedly instructed that canal water will quickly be out there. However you’ll be able to go just a little distance and see for your self, the canal is totally dry.”
Sunil Fatangade, a vegetable vendor from Kelwad, mentioned there are not less than 30 villages the place every household has to buy water every single day. “A small household would possibly want one jar price Rs 15, however there are larger households who want three to 4 jars every single day. I pay Rs 500 each month to buy water whereas larger households spend Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 each month,” he added.
‘Provide as soon as in 5 days’
All neighbouring villages share comparable tales and the state of affairs is hardly totally different in metropolis areas. Gaurav N, a shopkeeper in Rahata, says, “We get water each 5 days. It comes for one hour and we’ve got to make sure that we top off for the following 5 days,” including that he’ll nonetheless vote for the BJP.
A 19-year-old scholar, who didn’t want to be named, mentioned, “We too get water for an hour, as soon as in 5 days. Each household can’t retailer sufficient for the following 5 days. Some have constructed tanks, however not everybody can afford that. Not less than we must always get water provide on alternate days. The MLA ought to have dealt with this subject significantly.”
BJP insurgent lashes out
BJP insurgent candidate Pipada, in the meantime, alleged that Vikhe-Patil was a egocentric man. “I’ve been strongly opposing Vikhe-Patil since he was within the Congress. As a Congress MLA, he did nothing for Shirdi and now he’s with my celebration, the BJP. He’ll spoil the BJP’s title. He’s an outright egocentric one who is aware of to build up wealth. If he was severe about individuals’s welfare, he would have gone all out to ease their struggling.” At each nook assembly that he attends, Pipada makes positive to spotlight his rival’s nature as a “egocentric politician who has did not deal with the water drawback in Shirdi.”
Pipada additionally factors out that the Nagar-Shirdi Freeway is in unhealthy form throughout a stretch of 80 km. “Industries are nowhere in sight. Lately, the federal government introduced the establishing of an MIDC (Maharashtra Industrial Growth Company) space whereas all these years, it did nothing. Educated youths from Shirdi are compelled emigrate to Pune, Nashik and Mumbai seeking jobs.”
Impartial MLA Satyajeet Tambe mentioned improvement was by no means prioritised in Shirdi. “Within the neighbouring Sangamner Meeting seat, individuals in metropolis areas get water by a direct pipeline from the Nilwande dam. This might have additionally been carried out in Shirdi. Sugar factories and milk cooperatives are working in losses.”
Shirdi far forward of others, Vikhe-Patil claims
On being requested concerning the state of affairs, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil mentioned his constituency had no main water scarcity points. “Apart from just a few villages, the state of affairs in most areas vis-a-vis water provide is much better than in another constituency within the district. Even infrastructure-wise, Shirdi is way forward of different constituencies,” he claimed.
Vikhe-Patil mentioned two rotations of water distribution have already taken place by the Nilwande canal community. “The primary was carried out to do the testing and the second offered water by the canal community which helped irrigate the farms in a number of villages,” he mentioned.
Just a few water schemes are nearing completion in his constituency, he mentioned. “As soon as these are accomplished, water grievances of individuals within the constituency would come down drastically.”
“In my constituency, as of now, not a single tanker is supplying water. Within the neighbouring Sangamner seat, a number of tankers are being pressed into service. Wells and lakes are full and voters are in a greater state of affairs than within the neighbouring constituency,” Vikhe-Patil insisted.
Pipada alleged that Vikhe-Patil is making an attempt to avoid wasting his pores and skin by such claims. “Go to any village and ask the villagers. Each villager in Shirdi constituency will grieve concerning the unavailability of water. There are 78 villages within the constituency all of that are struggling for water each day. Ask Vikhe-Patil what he did for 35 years… He could have no reply,” Pipada mentioned.
