The country-wide agitation against the three agriculture bills passed by the Central Government may have an impact on the ensuing by-elections in MP.
The by-polls in the state are likely to be held in November. The Congress and other opposition parties have begun to reach out to farmers telling them about the shortcomings of those bills.
After Punjab, Haryana and Tamil Nadu, farmers’ agitation is set to begin in Gujarat. An awareness campaign among farmers will be launched in MP from September 30.
The situation arising out of the farmers’ agitation may influence the by-elections.
By-election will be held for 28 seats in the state. Resentment among farmers against the bills will have an effect on the ruling party’s prospects in the by-elections.
The state government has given a lot of benefits to the farmers so that the Congress does not succeed in generating anger among them.
Along with Rs 4,000 under Mukhya Mantri Kisan Kalyan Yojna, the farmers were given benefits under the crop insurance scheme.
The government is also surveying the crop loss so that the farmers may get compensation.
The BJP leaders are informing the farmers about the bills so that they do not get angry.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is providing information about the bills to farmers in every meeting so that the opposition cannot mislead them.
The amendments made in Parliament in the SC/ST Act as passed by the Supreme Court, sparked anger among the people of the general category against the BJP before the assembly elections in 2018.
Apart from that, Dalit agitation caused anger among the people of SC category.
As people of both the categories were angry because of the Centre, the BJP had to suffer in the assembly elections.
Now, the state BJP leaders are worried about the loss that the agriculture bills may cause to the party this time.
According to farmers’ leader Shivkumar Sharma ‘Kakkaji,’ an awareness campaign is going to start from September 30 in the state.
As part of the campaign, the farmers will be informed about the shortcomings of the bills, he said.
Burning of effigies and protests are going on in many districts, and it will be intensified, he said.
According to agriculture minister, Kamal Patel, all the three bills are beneficial to farmers.
The Congress’s efforts to mislead the farmers will not succeed, Patel said.
The farmers know that the BJP works for the farmers, but the Congress has always deceived them, Patel said.
Congress protests today
The Congress workers along with the farmers from Sehore, Raisen and Hoshangabad have planned to stage a demonstration against the agriculture bills in Kamala Park, Bhopal, at 11am on Monday.
The decision to stage the protest was taken at a meeting held under the AICC general secretary and party’s state in charge Sudhanshu Tripathi at the Congress office on Sunday. After the demonstration, the party will hand over a memorandum to the Governor.
