Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar publicly said that he would defeat the current NCP MP from Shirur in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, even though the march was planned more than a week ago.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders started the “Kisan Aakrosh Morcha” on Wednesday to protest farmers’ demands. Shivneri Fort, where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was born and which is part of the Shirur Lok Sabha seat, is located near the Pune Collectorate. Over the course of four days, the 100-kilometer march will be completed.

Leading the march at Shivneri Fort to pay homage, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) MP Amol Kolhe was supported by legislators and leaders of the MVA allies, the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT). Many men, women, and young people carried flags and placards.

Despite being planned over a week in advance, the march got underway when deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar declared in the open that he would unseat the current NCP MP from Shirur in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Every day from 8 am to 8 pm, there will be public gatherings along the way to break up the march. On December 30, NCP president Sharad Pawar will speak at a public rally in Pune.

The main requests made by the farmers to remove the protest procession were enumerated by Kolhe and others. “It is imperative that the export ban be immediately lifted and that a long-term export strategy be developed.” In locations that are prone to pest infestation, farmers should have a continuous source of power during the day. Kolhe stated, “Cultivators should receive prompt payment for losses and the arbitrary nature of crop insurance companies needs to be scrutinised.”