Maharashtra CM Fadnavis unveils Rs 20,552 cr farm loan waiver amid Mahayuti political gains

Chief Minister and Finance Minister Devendra Fadnavis presented a supplementary demand of Rs 97,706 crore, allocating Rs 20,552 crore to a farm loan‑waiver scheme that will benefit about 56 lakh farmers. The state projects a fiscal deficit of Rs 1.5 lakh crore and public debt approaching Rs 11 lakh crore. Infrastructure projects, including metro and tunnel works, also received large loans and interest‑free financing.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance won 16 of the 17 seats declared in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, strengthening its hold on local self‑government bodies. The BJP secured 11 seats, while Shiv Sena (Shinde) and NCP took three and two respectively.

Ahead of the Monsoon Session, Fadnavis mocked the opposition for allegedly using ChatGPT to draft a memorandum and warned about delayed monsoon rains, urging farmers to wait for reliable precipitation. Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar echoed the caution, advising against premature sowing and highlighting the release of the 23rd instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.

In a separate political development, Fadnavis declared “Operation Tiger”—a maneuver to induce defections from the Shiv Sena (UBT)—a success, with Deputy CM Eknath Shinde hinting at further moves.