NCP, Cong irked with loan waiver hoardings crediting only Sena

The NCP and Congress have expressed displeasure over some hoardings carrying images only of Shiv Sena leaders to highlight the Maharashtra government's move to waive farm loans, saying it is a joint decision of the alliance and not one party alone.

The hoardings, having pictures of Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and his father late Bal Thackeray, have come up in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra in the last couple of days.

They do not have any photograph of top leaders of the Congress and NCP, which forged an alliance with the Sena to form government in the state.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday assured a complete farm loan waiver in the state, a day after the government formally announced to write off cultivators' debts of upto Rs two lakh.

"It would have been better if they had also carried photographs (on hoardings) of other veteran leaders of this alliance," NCP MLC Satish Chavan told PTI.

This is a decision of the alliance government and the move to put up hoardings of a single party is "not done", Congress city president Namdevrao Pawar said.

"The decision to waive farm loans is of all the alliance partners of the state government. If the posters are put up by a local volunteer, it can be understood. But, if these have been put up by party officials, then this is certainly displeasing," he said.

They should have also put up images of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Pawar said.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena district president and MLC Ambadas Danve said the hoardings were displayed by party volunteers "in a fit of emotion".

"Henceforth, we will take care that alliance parties also get a prominent place in such posters," he said.