Farmers Movement Archive

‘Naturally, candidate will be from BJP for Baroda bypoll’

Haryana agriculture and farmer welfare minister and BJP in-charge of Baroda assembly byelection Jai Prakash Dalal tells TOI’s Ajay Sura that the process to finalise a joint BJP-JJP coalition candidate would begin on October 10. He also describes the farmer protests against the Centre’s agri-marketing laws as an attempt by the Congress party to re-launch Rahul Gandhi in politics and claims that the protests are sponsored by some arhtiyas (commission agents) who are into the illegal business of financing and exploiting farmers. You have been visiting the Baroda assembly segment for the past several days. What are the key issues on the ground? Development is the main issue in the constituency. People have severe problems like lack of drinking water, water logging, no power connections for tubewells, compensation for crop damage etc. These are apart from unemployment, which is the main issue in the entire state, at present. Do you think that the farmers’ protest over new farm laws would be an issue in the byelection? Has your party failed to convince farmers? The entire protest is an attempt by Congress to project their leader Rahul Gandhi as farmers’ leader. Actually, farmers have no time for protest these days because of their engagement in harvesting paddy and cotton. They are in their fields, not on roads as projected by Congress. At least for the next 20-25 days, farmers cannot afford to sit on protest and all those seen on the roads protesting against the new farm laws are Congress workers. It is a relaunch of Rahul who has been protesting on a customized tractor to ensure he doesn’t feel uncomfortable while riding on it during the protest. What is the hurdle in giving a written assurance to farmers about MSP? Giving MSP to farmers is within the purview of the state government and we are committed to give it to farmers of the state. MSP has its origin in 1966 and till 2005 Congress ruled the state for most of the time. It was only after the BJP formed the government that most crops of farmers in the state were being purchased on MSP. We have tried to change the old system with the new agriculture laws. Farmers have not become rich or their condition has not improved in the prevailing system. Now they should also try the new system and if it appears prejudicial to them, there is always a scope to amend or change the law. If the law is extremely harmful to them, as projected by Congress, the people of the country would change us. Some of the JJP MLAs are openly supporting the farmers’ protest. Have you spoken to the CM or the JJP leadership? No, I have not spoken to anyone in this regard. The problem is that arhtiyas have strong influence in the state’s politics and they think they run it. However, several of them are into the business of financing under the garb of being an arhtiya, which is illegal. Such people are also instigating and sponsoring the protests in the name of farmers against the new laws. Some arhtiyas have been exploiting farmers for a long time and the new laws would save the farmers from their exploitation. Farmers are innocent; they take time to understand an issue. Even farmer leaders like Gurnam Singh Charuni talk about the interests of such arhtiyas. Who will be the candidate in Baroda? Will the party repeat Yogeshwar Dutt or will it be JJP candidate? The process to finalise the candidate would begin from October 10, when the party’s election committee holds its meeting. Thereafter, a meeting will be held with our alliance partner, JJP. As far as the candidate is concerned, naturally it will be from BJP, as we have a stronghold in Baroda constituency and our vote share was higher in the previous assembly polls. Both BJP and JJP contested the October 2019 assembly polls separately and received significant votes. As both are now in the coalition government, do you think it would be a cakewalk for the BJP-JJP candidate? In politics, it is difficult to predict whether a political party would be able to retain votes it received in the previous election or not. However, we are in a very strong position in Baroda, at present. People there want development and know that BJP can develop the area if they elect its candidate. They know the (bypoll) result would not affect any political party but it would certainly have an impact on the development of the constituency. It is said that Baroda is former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s stronghold and he would not let it go easily. It is a fact that BJP has never won Baroda seat. Hooda’s native place is near Baroda and Congress candidates have been winning from this seat for long. But Hooda is responsible for the backwardness of this constituency. People have started realising how Hooda always got votes from Baroda but did all the development work in his home constituency, Garhi Sampla-Kiloi. Hooda never gave a ticket to a candidate from Baroda constituency, but gave it to one from Kiloi. Are any big or national BJP leaders expected to campaign in Baroda? Why is the CM avoiding visiting there? Normally, big or national leaders do not come for a byelection. The state leadership is competent and capable enough to handle it. As of now, there are no plans of any national leader visiting Baroda to campaign for the party candidate. The CM would visit Baroda soon, once the candidate is finalised.

The Times of India

2020-10-06

Chandigarh