The Maharashtra sugar industry is known to have been the stronghold of Ajit Pawar with the Dy CM always determined to keep the sector under his command. In his death, the members of the sector believe that they have also lost their leader.
Rajendra Dhaval Patil, former director of the Malegaon Cooperative Sugar Mill in Baramati, was in no position to speak when he heard the tragic news. Patil, who is the Western Maharashtra head of farmer organisation Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana said while they were politically poles apart, Ajit Pawar always respected sugarcane farmers.”
When in 2019-20 the Malegaon Karkhana was up for polls he called me over and requested me to contest from the panel supported by him as a farmer representative. He never asked me to join his party,” he said.
Patil said while working as the director, he saw the deputy chief minister working closely with mills to ensure farmers are paid on time. “He even called up mills who delayed payment and urged them to pay on time.. for him the farmer was the base of the economy,” he said.
