The government's decision to increase Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the kharif crop has bolstered the confidence of the BJP MPs to tackle the Opposition onslaught in the Monsoon Session of the Parliament at least on the farmers' front.
The Monsoon Session will start on July 18 and end on August 10.
"We have never shied away from any debates, including the so-called agrarian distress or farmers' plight. We are ready to have a debate on these issues in the coming Monsoon Session. We would like to hear what the Opposition has to say after the historical increase in MSP, the highest ever by any government?"said a senior BJP Lok Sabha MP.
BJP is confident that the increase in MSP has not only robed the Opposition of its main plank that it was looking to raise again in the Parliament but would also help negate the anti-farmer image of the party. In previous sessions the Congress led opposition parties had made it a raging issue seeking debate under rules of voting on it.
In addition, riding on the significant increase in the MSP of jowar, dalhan (pulses) and paddy (rice), the BJP is also hoping to win back farmers trust in poll-bound states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. The BJP's state-level functionaries have already been briefed to drum up publicity on this front.
While the Congress and other Opposition leaders concede in private that the MSP increase has taken out some zing of their attack against the government on farmers' issue, they claim it still is valid as it is yet to be seen if the government would buy the kharif crop on MSP or not or will the farmers' will again be forced to sell it at meagre prices to the middlemen and traders.
"During BJP's regime the problem is the government deliberately delays the off-take to force cash-strapped farmers to sell their produce at cheap prices to middlemen. Merely announcing an increase in MSP and that too at far lower rates than the promised one is a mere eyewash that farmers understand very well," said Congress leader Randeep Surjewala, who himself is a farmer.
According to senior Congress leaders Anand Sharma and Abhishek Manu Singhvi there are plenty of other issues like bank scam, unemployment, GST and demonetisation woes to corner the Modi government during the Monsoon Session and a no-confidence motion could again be on the cards.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Parliament")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}