Bhopal: BJP’s ‘Kisan Sandesh Yatra’, launched with the objective of mollifying the angry kisans, has turned out to be a big flop. The ‘yatra’, launched at Vidhan Sabha constituency-level, had begun on June 27 and concluded on Thursday.
The chief minister, ministers and most of the top organisational leaders scrupulously kept away from the campaign, leaving the MLAs to face the anger of the farmers.
The yatra was planned in haste by state party chief Nandkumar Singh and state organisational general secretary Suhas Bhagat to calm down the farmers and also as a show-of-strength. However, the whole project seems to have boomeranged.
Shajapur MLA Arun Bhimawat got an earful from the farmers while Bijawar MLA was not even allowed entry into a village. Dileep Singh Parihar, MLA from Neemuch was also heckled.
Besides the farmers, others who were unhappy with slow pace of development works, also used the opportunity to vent their anger. After facing the brunt of farmers’ ire, most of the MLAs preferred to keep away from the concluding functions of the yatra. The BJP organisation too did not monitor the yatra.
A BJP MLA said there was no reason why the party should have launched the yatra at this time. “But we had no option but to follow the directives of the party organization.” He said ministers did not take any interest in the yatra with the result that it could not create an atmosphere in favour of the party.
Congress’ yatra also evokes cold response
The Congress has also launched a ‘Kisan Swabhiman Yatra’ in an attempt to draw political mileage out of the resentment among farmers. But it too has evoked poor response. Farmers are currently busy arranging fertilisers and seeds for sowing operations and have little time for political shenanigans.
