Ahead of MP bypolls, Congress-BJP war on farm loan waivers intensifies

Bhopal, Sep 24: Amid the ongoing clash over the farm bills, a political war of words has broken out between the BJP and the Congress ahead of the crucial by polls for 28 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh.

It can be seen the Congress claiming that the state government has finally accepted that the previous Kamal Nath government had fulfilled its promise to waive-off farmers' loans and therefore, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan should apologise for spreading alleged falsehoods, a charge rejected in toto by the BJP, which accused the Congress of misleading the people on the issue using half-truths.

According to reports, Madhya Pradesh Congress leaders have cited state agriculture minister Kamal Patel's written reply in the assembly, given to Congress MLA Jaivardhan Singh, to claim that loans worth more than Rs 11,000 crore owed by more than 2.6 million farmers were waived off in 2019. The state was ruled by a Congress government led by Kamal Nath in 2019.

Farmers' loan waiver has remained one of the major poll issues and a point of conflict between the BJP and the Congress since the last assembly elections. BJP has accused the previous government (Congress) in the state of betraying farmers by not fulfilling its poll promise to waive off loans up to Rs 2 lakh per head within 10 days of assuming power.

The political temperatures on the issue soared further following a tweet by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday, which said, "Congress: Jo kaha so kiya, BJP: Sirf jhoothe waade", meaning 'Congress kept its word while BJP has made only false promises'.