Shah hails MSP hike as historic

Mizapur, July 5: BJP chief Amit Shah hailed the Centre's decision to increase the minimum support price of kharif crop as "historical", stating that the move would benefit the farming community in a major way.

"I want to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet colleagues...This is a big decision in the interest of farmers...This will resolve many problems faced by farmers," he told reporters here after visiting 'Maa Vindhvasini' shrine.

"Through this historical decision, the government has fulfilled the 70-year-old demand of farmers...There is a possibility of up to 50 per cent hike in some of the crops," he said.

Shah, on a two-day visit to Uttar Pradesh to feel the pulse of the people ahead of the crucial 2019 Lok Sabha elections, stressed that the Modi government has been coming up with various farmer-friendly policy decisions ever since it came to power.

A case in point, he said, black marketing of urea was checked by introducing neem-coated urea.

"There is no dearth of urea anywhere in the country now...Pradhan Mantri Fasal Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Sichai Yojna were brought," the BJP leader said, citing the various schemes brought out for farmers.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) at its meeting today approved the MSP of 14 Kharif (summer-sown crops for the 2018-19 season.

The decision, taken by the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, comes less than a year before next general election.

Shah also held closed-door meetings with party leaders to discuss the poll strategy.

Party leaders from Kashi, Avadh and Gorakhpur regions attended the meeting and shared their feedback with Shah.

These three regions constitute 30 Lok Sabha seats and are crucial for the party's scheme of things to ensure a repeat of its 2014 performance. The BJP-led NDA won 73 out of 80 seats in the state in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The meeting was also attended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma, BJP's national general secretary Bhupendra Nath and state unit president Mahendra Nath Pandey.

Later Shah left for Varanasi where he will interact with members of the BJP's IT cell and discuss the party's digital campaign for the next year's polls.

Today he will leave for Agra. There the BJP president will meet party leaders from Kanpur, Bundelkhand, Braj and western Uttar Pradesh.