In a desperate bid to placate farmers in the state after the June agitation in Mandsaur, the BJP in Madhya Pradesh is planning to organise a massive farmers’ convention in the district.
As per the plan, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will not only apprise farmers of what he has done for them over the past one decade during the BJP’s rule, but will also spell out his plans for them for the next five years, party sources said.
Suwasara village, 80 km from Pipliya Mandi where farmers were hit by police bullets during their agitation, will be the venue of the convention.
The police firing killed five farmers, triggering massive protests in the Malwa region of the state, following which the district collector, CSP and some other police personnel were suspended.
Party sources said not choosing Pipliya Mandi as the venue of the convention could be attributed to the fact that farmers might be reminded of the police firing.
“The party planned to organise the convention on September 17 but the leaders were reminded of the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday falls on the day. Hence, now a fresh date will be decided in the BJP Kisan Morcha’s executive meeting to be held at Chitrakoot on September 9 and 10 this month,” said a senior party leader on the condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to media.
The leader said BJP would organise more such programmes in the state, to be decided by the Morcha.
In the recently-held polls for 44 civic bodies, the Congress increased its tally significantly from 8 to 15 whereas the BJP’s numbers decreased, though marginally. Most of the civic bodies are situated in tribal areas.
The chief minister announced ex-gratia payment of Rs 1 crore to the kin of the deceased farmers who were killed in police firing. Such a big amount was never given before to kin of any martyr, farmer or anybody else in the state. Also, the chief minister observed a fast for more than a day for maintaining peace, besides a slew of announcements for him for farmers’ welfare.
However, party leaders feel there is still resentment among farmers which needs to be addressed at the earliest. For, Congress has been raising the issues of farmers constantly since the farmers’ death and organised satyagrah on farmers issues in several parts of the state led by senior Congress leader and MP Jyotiraditya Scindia.
