Mumbai
Maharashtra’s political leadership is sending interlocutors to anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare who has threatened to go on a hunger strike from October 2 to press for his demand for strengthening the Lokpal’s office.

Earlier this week, Hazare wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the BJP governments in both Maharashtra and the Centre had dodged the issue of strengthening the offices of the Lok Ayukta and Lokpal respectively.

“On August 16, 2011, the entire country took to the streets for the appointment of Lokpal and Lokayukta. Your government came to power because of that agitation… You should have been grateful towards people and given priority to their demand,” Hazare wrote in his letter to Modi.

The activist noted that the government had gone back on the written assurance over remunerative prices for agricultural produce after he had gone on a hunger strike in Delhi earlier this year.
“Farmers are still not getting remunerative prices for their crops,” Hazare said in his letter.

The activist is demanding that the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices which set the prices for agricultural produce be given autonomy on the lines of the Election Commission.

This commission currently functions under the Agriculture Ministry.

According to Hazare’s associates, the veteran Gandhian will start his hunger strike on October 2 from his village Ralegan Siddhi.

Maharashtra’s politicians are however wary about the impact of Hazare’s hunger strike on home ground.