MUMBAI: BJP’s assembly poll candidates are facing cotton farmers’ discontent over prices in north Maharashtra, a stronghold of the saffron party.
BJP minister Girish Mahajan, a five-time MLA from Jamner in Jalgaon district and known as a trouble shooter for the party and, is finding the going tough this time in the constituency due to anger among cotton farmers, lack of irrigation facilities and unemployment.
Mahajan had led a hunger strike in 2011 demanding Rs 6000 per quintal of cotton. After 13 years, cotton is sold at the same rate against the MSP of Rs 7500, leaving the farmers peeved. “Besides the low cotton prices, this year crops were damaged due to heavy rain. We are unable to recover even the invested amount,” said Sanjay Patil, a farmer from Shendurni in Jamner. He said against his investment of Rs 80,000 in cotton, he got a production worth Rs 60,000.
Asked whether his wife received financial aid under the Ladki Bahin scheme, Patil said, “Government is not doing us any favour; Rs 1500 is not enough to meet household expenses. Frankly, we do not need any such financial assistance, we want good rates for our produce.”
The mood in Jamner echoes in other assemblies in north. “Most of the old textile mills are closed. This area was once known for high milk production but most of the diaries are shut now. There is no job for youth,” said Ranjeet Shinde, a social activist.