This issue threatens to snowball as Solapur's economy is almost totally based on this industry and leaders of both saffron parties are already engaged in a tussle _ local BJP leaders opposing the move and prominent Sena members supporting it. Raising a vehement protest against his own Government's decision, BJP corporator Ramchandra Jannu and businessman-activist Ashok Jain have undertaken an indefinite hunger strike from Thursday morning to draw the attention of BJP high command.

At the district-level, patrons of BJP in the industry are confronting active resistance from the Sena's city unit. Sena Minister Uttam Prakash Khamdare has thrown his weight behind the decision to hike sales tax.Meanwhile, former BJP MP Lingraj Valyal has taken anactive interest in taking up cudgels for the Solapur District Powerloom Association (SDPA) which threatened to close their business if the State did not revoke its decision. The decision to send the factories on strike was taken when, at meeting held on Wednesday, Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde and Finance Minister Mahadev Shivankar did not respond favourably to the SDPA delegation.Earlier, more than 200 powerloom owners took out a procession in the city and a representation handed over a memorandum to the district collector M V Sangale.

Solapur's economy is heavily dependent on the powerloom industry which provides employment to more than one-and-a-half lakh people. After the closure of the `Juni Girni' in the city some decades ago, the labourers of the mill purchased the powerlooms from the owner at cheap rates and started their own business.

Later, due to raw material deficit and marketing problems more than 40 per cent powerlooms either closed down or were in the red. The hike has further putthe crunch on powerloom owners and threatened to render many jobless.Former member of Parliament and powerloom owner Dharmanna Sadul opined that the hike would paralyse the market as they had to compete with the products from the south and Panipat which sell at cheaper rates. He explained the owners have been forced to close their business unwillingly. ``We need the Government's help to get business on track, instead the Government has put us and also poor labourers into trouble.