THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At a time when the BJP has been trying to make inroads into the Christian community, the visit of Union Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal to Kottayam to inaugurate the platinum jubilee celebrations of Rubber Board on Tuesday has a major political significance.
The procurement price of rubber and support to farmers have been major points of discussion in the state for some time, especially with many of the rubber growers belonging to the Christian community.
Thalassery Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany’s statement that the Church would support the BJP to have its first MP from the state if the Union government takes measures to raise the rubber procurement price to `300 added to the drama. The bishop’s open invite to BJP left both the ruling Left and the Opposition UDF in a predicament. The BJP has also initiated a slew of outreach programmes to woo the Christian community in the state.
Meanwhile, Congress state president K Sudhakaran urged Minister Piyush Goyal to announce a procurement price of Rs 300 for rubber.
Sudhakaran said the minister’s arrival in Kottayam should not be a disappointment for the rubber farmers like the BJP leaders’ visit to the Christian and Muslim households turned out to be a damp squib.
“It should be recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also announced relief measures to rubber farmers, including increasing the rubber price, during his recent trip to Tripura,” said Sudhakaran.