BJP makes plans to reap political dividend after sowing support price seed

The opposition has been relentless in its campaign to take on the BJP over agricultural issues | PTI

Party directs state units to launch ‘information blitzkrieg’ on decision, counter opposition attempts to project it as anti-farmer.

New Delhi: A day after the NDA government announced a significant increase in the minimum support price (MSP) for kharif crops, including the highest absolute ever MSP hike for paddy, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is preparing to hit the ground running, to reap the political dividends and counter the opposition’s concerted attempt to project it as an anti-farmer party.

The party’s central leadership Thursday directed all state units to launch an information blitzkrieg about the NDA government’s decision, which is in keeping with its promise to double farmers’ income by 2022. Sources said the BJP high command has asked all its party chiefs in the states to hold press conferences regarding the Modi government’s farmer-friendly move.  It is learnt that all elected representatives, MPs and MLAs, would also be taking the message to their respective constituencies through a mass contact programme.

The Centre’s MSP decision comes barely five months before Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are due to go to polls. The three agrarian states have been witnessing prolonged agitations by farmers over the absence of remunerative prices for their crops.

“We have promised a considerable hike in the MSP and we did it. Not just the Centre, BJP-ruled states too will ensure that they contribute to the well-being of farmers. This will be looked in to by the leadership at the Centre. The message is loud and clear that the party is with farmers and the only one to feel their pain,” said a senior party leader, who believes the decision will be a crucial issue in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Sources in the BJP said that there is a belief within the party that the MSP decision will impact the country’s rural belts, where it was losing ground.

‘A dent on Opposition’s main plank’  

The BJP believes that the MSP decision will take the wind out of the Congress’ campaign to project the BJP as leading a ‘suit boot ki sarkaar’ that is against farmer welfare.

“The issue of farmers has been made a major one against the BJP, especially in the north Indian states. With this one decision, the senior leadership has shown that the party cares about farmers and wants them to flourish,” said the senior leader.

The opposition has been relentless in its campaign to take on the BJP over agricultural issues, while the government has been rocked by farmer protests in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

In early June, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had visited Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh, where he met families of the six farmers who had lost their lives during agitations in 2017.  There he promised to waive farm loans within 10 days if his party was voted to power in the state.

Senior BJP leaders now believe that the opposition has lost its main poll plank for 2019.  Sources also told ThePrint that farmers, especially sugarcane farmers, met PM Modi a few days ago, where they were assured that their demands of proper MSP would be looked in to.