Change in government necessary in Maharashtra to improve living conditions: Sharad Pawar

Hitting out at the Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP government in Maharashtra, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Monday asserted that there was "utmost need for change" in the state if the condition of farmers, women and youth were to improve for better.

Addressing a poll rally at Parola in North Maharashtra's Jalgaon district in support of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), he raised the issues of farmer suicides, atrocities against women, rising joblessness and said a change in the government was necessary to ensure better living conditions for people.

"In Badlapur, atrocities were committed against school-going girls. How many examples should I give of atrocities against women? Instead of providing security to women, they announced we will give money to our dear sisters (Ladki Bahin)," the Rajya Sabha MP said.

He was referring to alleged sexual assault of two kindergarten girls at a school in Badlapur town of Thane district in August by a cleaning staffer, who was later shot dead by police.

"We are not opposed to it (Ladki Bahin Yojana targeted at poor women). You gave them money, but what is the condition of your dear sisters? According to data shared by the central government, 9,000 girls have disappeared," the MVA's star campaigner noted.

The former Union agriculture minister urged farming families to take up jobs instead of relying solely on cultivation as a source of regular income.

"There can be no change in your living conditions till such time there is a change of government. There is utmost need for a change in government. We are working towards that," the NCP-SP chief said.

He declared the opposition MVA, of which NCP-SP is a key constituent, has decided to do "whatever it takes" to change the government in Maharashtra.

"We have decided that we will do whatever it takes. We will work hard, travel to every nook and corner of Maharashtra and tell the people that there is a need to change the government," Pawar told the crowd.

The veteran leader said MVA allies Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP-SP have decided to join hands to usher in political change in Maharashtra.

"We have joined hands. Bringing about change is not the job of any one person," Pawar said.

He said the opposition INDIA bloc had scuppered Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plans to change the Constitution given by Babasaheb Ambedkar by denying the BJP a clear majority in this year's Lok Sabha elections.

"You gave us 31 out of the 48 (Lok Sabha) seats in Maharashtra and Modi could not commit the sin of changing the Constitution. Modi had to form the government with help of Chandrababu Naidu (who heads TDP) and Nitish Kumar (the chief of JD-U)," Pawar said and urged people to vote for MVA candidates in the next week's elections.

Polling for the 288-member state assembly will be held on November 20 and results will be declared three days later. As many as 4,140 candidates are in the fray across the state.