R Krishna Das
As elections in Chhattisgarh inch closer, the contest between the main political rivals is getting more fascinating. The political spectrum seen a couple of months ago is soon changing the colors.
Just three months ago, the BJP was in a defensive position. But as its cadre was propelled in election mode, it came in a position to at least give a fight to the ruling Congress that totally bank on farmers and rural folk to retain power that it fetched by trouncing 15-year of saffron rule in Chhattisgarh.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel however changed the stride on October 23 by announcing to write off farm loans. The development again put the BJP on the backfoot as political observers termed it as a decisive move to facilitate Congress’ continuation in power in the state. Just 11 days later, Union Home Minister Amit Shah released Chhattisgarh BJP’s election manifesto that literally changed the reported calculations of Congress.
Chhattisgarh goes to the polls in two phases on November 7 and 17.
Yearly financial assistance to married women and landless agriculture labourers, paddy procurement at Rs 3,100 per quintal, payment to farmers in single instalment and cooking gas cylinder at Rs 500 to poor families are some of the key highlights of the BJP’s poll manifesto for Chhattisgarh released on November 4.
Of it, the paddy price has been a much talked about point as it will, for sure, decide a decisive vote swing between the two main contestants—the Congress and the BJP. Experts are busy assessing what weighs more among the electorate, BJP’s Rs 3100 paddy price or Congress farm loan waive off.
The preliminary analysis accentuates that the paddy price will score over the farm loan waive off in Chhattisgarh. The announcement of farm loan waive off will not have immediate impact. The farmers have already started selling paddy at the government-run societies that have already started debiting the loan. The decision to write off tha loan can be taken only after the new government comes to the office after counting of votes on December 3. Till then, the loan will be deducted against the paddy they are selling in the current kharif crop.
Not all farmers take loans while the small and marginal farmers finance small amounts. For the big farmers, especially, those engaged in the sharecropping, only one member shall get the benefit of farm loan waive off in whose name it has been funded. But the higher paddy price will ensure advantage to each member.
The biggest scoring point for the BJP is the announcement to give Rs 3100 for a quintal of paddy in a single installment. The Congress government pays input subsidy along with the minimum support price (MSP) fixed by the central government to pay Rs 2500 for a quintal of paddy. The subsidy is being paid in four installments across the year that is not much beneficial for the farmers.
The Congress still has reason to smile for returning to fight back. The party is yet to release its election manifesto, leaving ample options to address the issues.
