'Any party that takes credit for the rain must not be surprised if its opponents blame it for the drought' - Dwight Morrow. Faced with the stark reality of drought and innumerable challenges in managing the natural calamity in an election year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should realise the seriousness of the former American politician's famous quote.

This year's drought is difficult and different from previous ones, because it is spread across the state's 26 districts. The drought we faced previously was restricted to chronically-hit pockets in Marathwada and western Maharashtra. 2013's drought had placed the then chief minister Prithviraj Chavan in a tricky situation because of allegations of scams and mismanagement. Incumbent CM Devendra Fadnavis should be subjected to similar scrutiny if anything goes wrong in mitigating the drought situation.