Shetti calls party meeting to decide on alliance with oppn

Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) leader Raju Shetti has called a meeting of the party's executive committee on February 28 to take a final call on alliance with opposition parties for the coming polls.

SSS leaders including Shetti, the MP from Hatkanangale, and Ravikant Tupkar held a five-hour-long meeting in Kolhapur Saturday.

Sources said they also discussed if the party should contest the elections without any alliance, as the Congress, NCP and other opposition parties have not given any proposal to the SSS yet.

"We have called a state executive meeting on February 28 in Pune. In the meeting it will be decided whether to go with the opposition alliance or to go solo," Shetti told reporters.

According to the sources, the SSS is firm on fielding candidates from Hatkanagale, Buldhana and Wardha.

While Shetti will contest from Hatkanangle, the party is planning to field Tupkar and former Union minister Subodh Mohite from Buldhana and Wardha, respectively.

Before the state executive committee's meeting, the party will also hold 'Elgar Melava' on February 27 at Madha.

The SSS, a farmer-centric organisation, was earlier part of the BJP-led alliance in Maharashtra before it parted ways for alleged anti-farmer policies of the government.