The Congress is banking upon improved performance in both Bihar and UP during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to change the course of its sliding curve in politics.
Struggling to revive its fortunes in Bihar, the Congress has decided to take up farmers' cause in a big way in all the districts of the state and turn it into a strong agitation on the lines of Madhya Pradesh.
The Congress is banking upon improved performance in both Bihar and UP during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to change the course of its sliding curve in politics. Congress leaders concede that without getting a firm foothold in these two states, it cannot become the largest party.
In a meeting of observers under Shaktisinh Gohil, the Bihar Congress on Thursday decided to undertake demonstration in favour of farmers' demands in all the districts of Bihar on June 25.
"The condition of farmers in Bihar is no less bad than that in Maharashtra, MP or Rajasthan. Contrary to their lofty promises both the BJP-JD(U) coalition government in the state and the Modi government at the Centre have failed miserably in giving farmers their due. We will be launching a state wide agitation if the government fails to undertake corrective measures on various counts," said Shaktisinh Gohil, the AICC in-charge of Bihar.
Gohil warned that the Congress will soon launch a state wise agitation soon if the demands of giving full compensation to the farmers as per the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and purchase of Rabi crops, particularly wheat, on MSP are not met by the government,
The Centre has done nothing for the farmers during the last 4 years which has plummeted the agriculture growth rate to 1.9%. While the Congress led UPA government waived 72,000 crore debt of farmers, the BJP led NDA government has only indulged in rhetoric, Gohil added.
"The government has failed to purchase the wheat at the promised MSP of Rs. 1735 per quintal. It is a deliberate ploy to help the middlemen who later purchase it for prices as low as Rs. 1200 to Rs. 1400. As the government has not augmented storage facilities, the farmers are forced to sell their produce to the middleman that is not good enough to recover even the cost. It is a big scam as the government later buys the same crop at the MSP from middlemen," said Gohil.
Congress leaders maintain that taking up farmers' cause can help them revive party's fortune in Bihar and emerge as a stronger force in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. A Congress leader from Bihar said the agitation will help the party get in touch with all castes combinations as farmers consists of all castes and their demands are also similar.
"It will not impact relations with the RJD as there is space for both the parties and it will be helpful to each other," said the leader.
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