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Chhattisgarh: Congress, BJP try to outdo each other in MSP game

The two parties don’t want to disturb the hopes of farmers for higher MSP and loan waiver. The Congress has promised a loan waiver, the BJP has been mum on it.

Published

2 years ago

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By Neeraj Mishra

The two major contesting parties, the BJP and the Congress, have announced a flurry of sops in their Chhattisgarh manifesto. The primary aim is to woo farmers, the largest chunk of voters. So, when the BJP announced they would procure paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal, the Congress upped it by stating in its manifesto that they would pay Rs 3,200. Both promise to acquire 20 quintals of paddy per acre against 15 quintals being acquired currently.

Now, therein lies a catch of the magnitude of Rs 10,000 crore. The Congress has been paying Rs 500 as “bonus” for the past five years over and above the procurement price or the Minimum Support Price (MSP) announced by the Government of India. For instance, the MSP last Kharif season was Rs 2,050. So the Bhupesh Baghel government paid Rs 2,550 but the Rs 500 bonus offered by state government is paid in four instalments. This has caused an additional cash burden of Rs 5,000 crore on the state exchequer.

The BJP, which had refused to pay bonus above the MSP in 2018, has fallen in line. It has sensed that the farmer in Chhattisgarh will now not accept anything less than Rs 2,700 per quintal while the MSP stands at Rs 2,150 this season. So gone are the days of MSP in Chhattisgarh while farmers from Bihar, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh etc continue to struggle to get even their MSP rate and cash in their accounts on time.

It will indeed be very difficult for either party to stick to their procurement price promise. It will not only mean nearly Rs 1,000 over and above the MSP, but the quantity of procurement will go up by at least 25 per cent. Chhattisgarh had procured a little over 1 lakh tonne paddy last season at 15 quintals per acre. If as promised, the state has to acquire 20 quintals per acre then the total quantity will easily surpass 1.25 lakh tonne even at the current rate of procurement.  This will add more burden on the state exchequer and it remains to be seen if the Central government is willing to shell out money for its share of extra rice. So far it has dilly-dallied over it.

As far as the farmer is concerned, he is not unhappy over getting his due share. At the same time, his expectation from the state have been raised which neither party wants to disturb. The farmer expects full procurement at higher MSP and also loan waiver. Last time, the Congress had promised a loan waiver scheme but had granted it with conditions. The primary condition was that only loans taken from cooperative banks would be waived. So while loans worth Rs 9,000 crore were waived, more than 13 lakh farmers with outstanding loans in the region of Rs 16,000 crore still suffered. This time too, smart farmers had taken loans in the expectation of waiver in an election year. The Congress has promised to waive loans but the BJP has kept mum on the subject.

Eventually will this MSP and loan waiver game make a difference? Will the farmer choose the one who deposits more in his pocket? Only time can tell but every farmer is also a Sahu or Kurmi or Yadav and eventually all things being equal, he will vote his caste. At least that’s what both parties are hoping with their MSP playbook.

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West Bengal Governor dissolves Assembly amid political transition 

Governor R N Ravi dissolved the West Bengal Assembly after the 2026 poll results, with the BJP securing a majority in the state elections.

Published

3 hours ago

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May 7, 2026

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The West Bengal Legislative Assembly was dissolved following the conclusion of the 2026 Assembly elections, in which the Bharatiya Janata Party secured a clear majority in the state.

Governor R N Ravi issued the order dissolving the Assembly as the state prepared for the transition of power after the election results. According to reports, the BJP won 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly, while the Trinamool Congress secured 80 seats.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee questioned the election outcome and alleged irregularities in the poll process, claiming the mandate had been “looted”.

The dissolution came as the tenure of the existing Assembly ended on May 7, 2026. The development has sparked political discussions over the formation of the next government in the state.

Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee held a meeting with newly elected Trinamool Congress MLAs in Kolkata and reportedly raised concerns over internal sabotage during the elections.

The BJP is expected to begin the formal process of government formation in West Bengal after its decisive victory in the Assembly polls.

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Eknath Shinde’s helicopter returns to Mumbai mid-flight due to bad weather

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s helicopter was forced to return to Mumbai after the pilot detected approaching storm conditions during a flight to Thane district.

Published

4 hours ago

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May 7, 2026

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Eknath_shinde (1)

A helicopter carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was forced to return to Mumbai on Thursday after encountering adverse weather conditions during a flight to Thane district.

According to officials, Shinde had departed from Mahalaxmi Racecourse in south Mumbai around 3.30 pm and was travelling to Murbad in Thane district to attend a wedding function related to a party worker’s family.

The helicopter reportedly reached the Airoli area in Navi Mumbai when the pilot noticed an approaching storm and informed the deputy chief minister about the deteriorating weather conditions. Following the alert, the flight was turned back as a precautionary measure.

The helicopter later landed safely at the Pawan Hans facility in Juhu, Mumbai. Officials said Shinde was accompanied by members of his staff, including personal assistant Prabhakar Kale, special executive officer Balsingh Rajput and media adviser Vinay Patrdukar.

The incident comes amid changing weather conditions and storm activity reported in parts of Maharashtra in recent days.

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Nitish Kumar’s son Nishant among 32 inducted in Bihar cabinet expansion

Nishant Kumar entered the Bihar cabinet for the first time as 32 ministers from NDA allies took oath in a major expansion of the state government.

Published

7 hours ago

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May 7, 2026

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Bihar government cabinet

A major cabinet expansion took place in Bihar on Thursday, with 32 leaders from the ruling NDA alliance inducted into the state government. Among the prominent names was Nishant Kumar, son of former Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who entered the cabinet for the first time.

The expansion included representatives from all major NDA allies in the state. According to reports, the BJP secured 15 ministerial berths, while JD(U) got 13 positions. Two ministers were inducted from Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), while Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Morcha received one berth each.

The oath-taking ceremony was held in Patna in the presence of senior NDA leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Nishant Kumar’s induction comes weeks after he formally entered active politics. His entry into the Bihar cabinet is being viewed as a significant development for JD(U), which had long projected an anti-dynasty image under Nitish Kumar’s leadership.

The cabinet reshuffle follows Nitish Kumar’s move to the Rajya Sabha earlier this year and the formation of the government led by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.

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