Raipur: In a recent turn of events in Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of presenting a manifesto that bears striking resemblances to the Congress’s pledges to the public. Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled the BJP’s manifesto in Raipur, introducing key promises such as annual financial assistance for married women and landless agricultural laborers, paddy procurement at Rs 3,100 per quintal, affordable cooking gas cylinders for underprivileged families, and a visit to Ayodhya’s Ram Temple.
CM Baghel wasted no time in criticizing the BJP’s manifesto, stating, “They (BJP) have copied Congress’s guarantees.” He further pointed out that the BJP’s manifesto lacked any mention of crucial elements like loan waivers and the Old Pension Scheme. Baghel also raised concerns regarding the Centre’s previous decisions, such as curtailing states’ ability to provide bonuses for paddy procurement, and questioned whether these decisions would be reversed in light of the BJP’s promise to procure paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal in Chhattisgarh.
Baghel called attention to the BJP’s seemingly contradictory stance, noting that while they claim they will make cash payments to farmers for paddy procurement, they had previously advocated for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). He referred to the BJP’s “sankalp patra” as being at odds with their own past decisions.
Responding to Amit Shah’s statement about imprisoning those involved in corruption if the BJP comes to power, Baghel raised questions about the BJP’s commitment to the cause. He called for the arrest of Raman Singh, a BJP leader and former chief minister, on allegations related to the NAN (Nagarik Apurti Nigam) scam. Additionally, Baghel highlighted a lack of action regarding his son, Abhishek Singh, whose name was allegedly linked to the Panama Papers leak, suggesting that no investigation had taken place.
In the context of Chhattisgarh’s current agricultural policies, Baghel stated that his government had already increased the paddy procurement per acre from 15 quintals to 20 quintals during the ongoing Kharif season. He explained that while paddy is procured at a minimum support price determined by the Centre, his government provides an input subsidy of Rs 9,000 per acre to paddy cultivators under the Rajiv Gandhi Nyay Yojana.
As the Congress is yet to release its manifesto for the upcoming Assembly polls, they have already announced 17 guarantees, including loan waivers for farmers and a caste census. Furthermore, the party has promised to raise the annual financial assistance for agricultural landless laborers from Rs 7,000 to Rs 10,000.
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