Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Anil Deshmukh on Sunday asked the Maharashtra government to help the orange and sweet lime growers affected by unseasonal rains and cotton farmers who were not getting the right price for their produce.

Former Maharashtra minister Deshmukh was addressing a press conference in Nagpur to inform about the 'Vajramuth' rally of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which comprises the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), to be held here on April 16.

To a query on unseasonal rains in Vidarbha and other parts of Maharashtra over the last few days and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis currentlty on a visit to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, Deshmukh said while the farmers are facing trouble, the CM, his deputy and other government leaders have gone for "dev darshan" (to seek blessings of God).

"It is not wrong, one can go for 'dev darshan', but the problems faced by farmers should not be ignored. In such times, the government should be there to address their problems," he said. Deshmukh claimed the cotton growers in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions were in trouble.

A huge stock of cotton was lying with the farmers. Cotton was imported in a large quantity and the growers in Maharashtra did not get a proper price for their produce, he said.

The NCP demands that the government come forward to help the cotton growers in the state, he said.

Deshmukh also said that orange and sweet lime growers from Vidarbha, who had faced losses due to unseasonal rains, were still waiting for compensation.

The NCP leader also said that preparations for the MVA's rally scheduled on April 16 were in full swing.

It will be a huge rally which would be addressed by two prominent leaders of each constituent of the MVA, he said.

The opposition alliance has planned to hold joint rallies in all seven revenue divisions of the state.

The first rally of MVA was held in Aurangabad on April 2.

State NCP chief Jayant Patil last month said the "message of unity needs to percolate to the grassroots," while admitting the MVA faces a double challenge of defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party by staying united as well as strengthening its own grassroot cadre.

This process will smoothen after the MVA holds joint rallies in the state, Patil had said.

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