With food inflation soaring in Maharashtra, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has intensified his criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of being the “biggest enemy of farmers.” He attributes the rise in prices to BJP’s policies, such as export bans on essential crops like onions and high export duties on soybeans, which he says have created distress for farmers and consumers alike. “The BJP’s ‘double engine’ government has left Maharashtra’s food plates empty,” Kharge claimed, stressing that inflation in staple foods has eroded household budgets.
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Kharge highlighted Maharashtra’s increasing farmer suicide rate and drought-related struggles, condemning the BJP’s unmet promises of a drought-free Maharashtra through a promised Rs 20,000-crore water grid project. He asserted that this project turned out to be merely a “jumla,” leaving farmers and rural regions severely affected. Reports indicate that Maharashtra has witnessed a stark decline in sugarcane and cotton production, partly due to environmental and policy challenges that, according to Kharge, the BJP has failed to address effectively.
The Congress leader also took a swipe at BJP’s handling of the dairy sector, accusing the government of ignoring the crisis facing local milk cooperatives, a lifeline for rural communities. He alleged that, instead of supporting farmers, the government favors insurance companies with substantial subsidies while farmers continue to suffer without adequate compensation. Kharge’s remarks are resonating with Maharashtra’s agrarian communities, as he calls for a “Maha Parivartan” (great change) through the upcoming elections on November 20, where the state’s 288-member assembly will be elected.
The current political battle is heating up, with the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, including Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, facing off against the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, which includes Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar’s NCP. As Maharashtra heads to the polls, Kharge’s rallying cries for policy changes in support of farmers and affordable food prices are anticipated to shape the political discourse and voter sentiment across the state.
(Input from Agencies)
