Mumbai: Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana president Raju Shetti will go on a nine-day yatra from May 1.  The yatra will start from Vikaran village of Dhule district, the native place of Dharma Patil, an 84-year-old farmer who committed suicide in Mantralaya a few months ago. During the yatra, forms regarding the loan waiver will also be distributed.

“We will ask farmers to fill up a form with questions on their loans and source of borrowing after every rally. Also, we will assure them that if they feel threatened by any private lender, our party workers will immediately intervene,” said Ravikant Tupkar of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana.

“Dharma Patil's suicide in Mantralaya is itself a blot on progressive Maharashtra. The government had assured complete rehabilitation and compensation to his family, but nothing has happened. So we will start our yatra from the village that has become synonymous with cheating of farmers,” said Mr Shetti.

Mr Shetti is trying to consolidate party workers mainly in Ahmednagar and Nashik districts of North Maharashtra; Western Maharashtra; Buldana and Washim districts of Vidarbha; and the Osmanabad, Beed and Parbhani district of Marathwada. So, the yatra will traverse North Maharashtra, Vidarbha and Marathwada regions. “We will launch separate yatra for Western Maharashtra after the yatra,” said sources from his party.