OCTOBER 8, 2018INDIA TODAY 37What about the farmers, who had famously stood by
their son-of-the-soil CM? In the past year or so, the cost
of agricultural inputs, such as diesel and DAP (diammo-
nium phosphate), has gone up substantially. Power supply
is an issue in some paddy-growing areas, especially in
eastern MP. In the west, farmers are dissatisfied with the
non-remunerative prices of soyabean, of which the state is
India’s largest producer. “Soyabean prices are almost half of
what they used to be and with a bumper harvest this year,
may go down even further. The Bhaavantar scheme helped
the trader, not farmers,” says Hanuwant Singh, a farmer
from Lalgarh in Ujjain district. Further west in Mandsaur,
where the farmers’ agitation became violent in 2017, farm-
ers still haven’t forgiven the government.
Interestingly, farmer agitations usually take place in
the lean season between crop cycles. The BJP thus will have
to be extra cautious in the months preceding the election
when the kharif crop will be harvested and rabi sown.
Adequate power and fertiliser supply will be priorities. The
party is showcasing bonus payments for wheat and paddy;
crop insurance payments too were released last month
though some farmers said they were not enough. There’s
also the Sambal Yojana for unorganised labour. In force
since April 1, it provides a range of benefits, from maternal
health and support for education of wards besides compen-
sation of Rs 4 lakh in case of death and power dues waiver
and a flat Rs 200 power connection to 22 million people.
The BJP is also hoping Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s campaigning will bolster its chances, given that
he remains popular in the state, despite demonetisation,
GST and now Rafale. Crucially, however, Chouhan has
been pitching 2018 as a battle between him and a Con-
gress CM candidate. And according to the Political Stock
Exchange survey, in terms of popularity, he (at 46 per cent)
is ahead of all Congress CM candidates, be it Jyotiraditya
Scindia (32 per cent), Nath (8 per cent) or Digvijaya Singh
(2 per cent). For once, not having a CM candidate is helping
the Congress. But were it to announce one, Chouhan will
waste no time turning it into a presidential-style contest.
The Congress’s hopes of a pre-poll alliance with the BSP
were dashed on September 20 when BSP supremo May-
awati announced the first list of 22 candidates. “We’re still
in talks with the BSP to prevent a split of anti-BJP votes,”
says Nath. The Congress will also continue to grapple with
legacy issues, such as its inability to function as a cohesive
unit except under a Nehru-Gandhi. Every leader has their
own media team that sends out exclusive reports about
them. Even so, compared to previous elections, there’s a
semblance of planning in the Congress campaign.
For the moment, though, one can only guess what the
outcome will be in December. Canvassing will begin in
earnest now and two months is a long time in politics. ■VOTE
%SEATS166
37
6
BJP^57
INC4
BSP45
2013 assembly election
TOTAL SEATS: 230POLL STAR
Rest: Independents and others
PANKAJ TIWARI