The Madhya Pradesh BJP has decided to counter Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s ambitious loan waiver promise to farmers with statistics showing that it has done more for agriculturists, said party leaders who attended a meeting at chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s residence on Saturday.
Gandhi had promised at a farmers’ rally in Mandsaur on June 6 that his party would waive off all loans within 10 days if voted to power in the state. Now, an apparently rattled BJP top leadership has assessed that the promise may have struck a chord with the already disgruntled farmers in the state, who have been on a 10-day strike since June 1.
At the meeting, Chouhan directed all district presidents and MLAs to reach out to people at the block level and inform them about the government’s achievements. “The chief minister told us to counter the Congress’ loan waiver announcement with statistics,” a BJP MLA revealed on condition of anonymity.
The legislator said they were told to inform the farmers that the government has provided ₹20,000 crore in financial aid to them over a period of a year, and was offering 10% subsidy on the principal amount of zero-interest loan. “Voters should know that no other state in the country is doing this for its farmers,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}The legislator said they were told to inform the farmers that the government has provided ₹20,000 crore in financial aid to them over a period of a year, and was offering 10% subsidy on the principal amount of zero-interest loan. “Voters should know that no other state in the country is doing this for its farmers,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}The MLA said they were instructed to ensure that two upcoming functions presided by the chief minister on June 10 and 13 turn out to be a success. While Chouhan will hand out a bonus of ₹265 per quintal to wheat farmers during the first event, he is expected to distribute adhikar patras (identity cards that provide information on government schemes) among unorganised workers in the second.
Chouhan also asserted that the upcoming election can be won only if the government and the party work in close coordination.
All the attendees of the meeting were reportedly told to prepare a comparison chart aimed at highlighting the difference between the way things were in 2003, when the Congress rule ended, and the situation that prevails now.
“Union rural development minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who was also present, told us that we can fight the rejuvenated Congress by presenting farmers with solid facts,” said another MLA.