Maharashtra's sugar politics on its way to change

Nearly a third of Maharashtra's sugar factories are sick. Yet the sugar lobby continues to dominate politics in western Maharashtra. And this is something that is changing.

For instance in Sangli, a seat which the Congress has held for 40 years, there is growing support for a candidate who is taking on the powerful sugar dynasty - Rebel Congress MLA Ajit Ghorpade.

Congress candidate Prateek Patil, is the grandson of the legendary Vasantdada Patil, the founder of the state's cooperative movement and four time chief minister. The sugar factory he founded is now in shambles, but his political clout survives.

For nearly 40 years the Congress has held onto the Sangli seat because of Vasantdada's legacy.
It is an example of how much the sugar lobby dominates politics in Western Maharashtra, even though many factories here have closed down. One big reason is the financial mismanagement by the owners, many of whom are powerful politicians.

Some of the sugar barons are:

• Sharad Pawar - Union Agriculture minister
• Jayant Patil - Maharashtra Finance Minister
• Vilasrao Deshmukh - Former Maharashtra chief minister

But in this region, there are seeds of change with many farmers now questioning what they have gained. A reason why movements like the Shetkari Sanghatna are gaining ground.

"Farmers should be getting the statutory minimum price for sugarcane in 14 days but we are not getting paid even in 14 months. The new generation wants a change," says Pradip Patil, a Sugarcane farmer.

A mood the opposition BJP has been quick to seize, choosing to back this rebel Congressman, instead of their own candidate.

"The people of Sangli could not think beyond Vasantdada. The time has come to change that," says BJP leader Sambhaji Pawar.