The Maha Picture: Bitter Battle over Sugar Mills That Hold Key to State Politics

Sugar cooperative mills play a major role in the politics of Maharashtra and this is the reason why elections for these factories are fiercely contested. Big state leaders either contest these elections or put their might behind a panel of local supporters. But since last few years, many sugar mills are facing financial crisis due to sluggish domestic demand, no exports and increase in cane prices without any increase in sugar prices.

Often these sugar mills have to apply for loans from the Centre-run National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). NCDC takes its decision after carefully examining the audits of these sugar mills. This time the Maharashtra government had also sent applications for ‘margin money loans’ to sugar mills run by BJP leaders. But the NCDC did not approve the applications saying that the sugar mills did not fit the criteria.

On behalf of NCDC, the state cooperative department was told that if the Maharashtra government takes the responsibility of paying this huge loan, then the corporation will consider this proposal positively. Therefore, the cooperative department proposed a loan of Rs 1,023.57 crore to nine sugar mills linked to big BJP leaders like Union Minister of State Raosaheb Danve, State Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, former Deputy Chief Minister Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil, former minister Pankaja Munde. and Harshvardhan Patil, MP Dhananjay Mahadik, and MLA Abhimanyu Pawar.

The proposal was presented in the state cabinet for approval in April. But surprisingly some BJP ministers opposed it. He expressed concern that if the government would help only a few sugar mills, a wrong message would be sent to the public. It was supported by ministers from the Eknath Shinde camp along with the finance and planning departments of the state government. The opposition also raised its voice and threatened to go to the court. A cabinet sub-committee was appointed, which decided on certain parameters by approving proposals for six sugar mills worth Rs 550 crore.

According to sources, the approved loan proposals do not include sugar mills linked to Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and former minister Pankaja Munde. This has raised eyebrows and once again the issue of “infighting” in the state BJP is being discussed in the political circles of Maharashtra. Pankaja Munde, who was a cabinet minister in the Devendra Fadnavis government, never had cordial relations with the then Chief Minister. When his father and top BJP leader Gopinath Munde was alive, he was the face of the Maharashtra BJP. After her death, there was talk that Pankaja might become the first woman Chief Minister of Maharashtra. In 2014, the BJP won the Maharashtra elections and Devendra Fadnavis was made the CM and Pankaja Munde was made a cabinet minister, but sources say that differences between Fadnavis and her have increased.

According to political analysts, after becoming the CM of Maharashtra in 2014, Fadnavis cleverly targeted BJP leaders who opposed him. Some analysts believe that the scams against senior BJP leaders and former ministers Eknath Khadse, Vinod Tawde and Pankaja Munde were part of this strategy.

In January, Pankaja was absent during Fadnavis’ official visit to her home turf. Fadnavis also did not consider Pankaja’s name while appointing candidates for the last state legislative council elections. After getting the post of National Secretary of BJP, Pankaja has made it clear that her leaders are Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and JP Nadda.

Another BJP leader who has gained a lot of attention in a short span of time since joining the party is Radhakrishnan Vikhe Patil. Being the Leader of the Opposition from 2014 to 2019, Vikhe Patil faced Fadnavis when he was the CM. Fadnavis had also sent a legal notice to Vikhe Patil regarding the allegations made on the Mumbai City Development Plan. But later Vikhe Patil joined BJP. When the Uddhav Thackeray camp’s disqualification petition against Eknath Shinde and his MLAs was in the Supreme Court, there was speculation that Vikhe Patil could become the next chief minister if the apex court’s order was against Shinde. His outreach to top BJP leaders in the national capital in a short span of time has raised eyebrows among party leaders in the state. According to sources, Fadnavis had expressed his displeasure with Vikhe Patil over his working style and the way he was running the state’s important revenue department.

According to reports, Vikhe Patil’s name may be considered for the post of CM of Maharashtra in the 2024 assembly elections, as there is a possibility that Fadnavis may move forward in national politics. In such a situation, the sugar mills of Vikhe Patil and Pankaja not getting any place in the loan list is attracting attention. This also gives an indication of what signal Fadnavis wants to send to these leaders who may turn against him in the near future. After all, sugar mill politics is the key to Maharashtra politics.