The aftermath of Cyclone Phailin and its effect on Chhattisgarhs agriculture have set the stage for a contest between the BJP and the Congress,which have already tried to outmatch each other in rice politics. The Congress has promised 35 kg foodgrains free to beat Raman Singhs chaur waale baba image,and promised Rs 2,000 a quintal as paddy procurement price against the Rs 1,310 set by the party-led UPA government for the country. Raman Singh has countered that with a promise of Rs 2,400 a quintal he will recommend to the Centre a minimum support price of Rs 2,100,which he will top up with a Rs 300 bonus from the state government. What Phailin has done is that it has extended the duration of the rains and delayed paddy harvesting. This has led to sluggish arrival of paddy at purchasing centres across the state,setting the stage for the contest. But for Phailin,procurement should have wound up before the promises were announced,with the season having started almost three weeks ago,on October 21 Our purchasing centre procures over 50,000 quintals. But so far,only three farmers have brought their produce totalling 74 quintals, says Anil Gopal,manager at Sahaspurs primary agricultural cooperative society,pointing at a pile of jute bags arranged by the society to pack the paddy. Farmers appear torn between the twin temptations. Raman Singh has tried to be clever with farmers, says Sugreevar Patel,middle-aged and weather-beaten,who grows paddy at Girisa village in Saraipali assembly seat. He gives a bonus in two years just before the elections and just after and skips it in the remaining three years. Patels produce is at the procurement centre with that of a few other from his village. Congress leaders have been advising farmers to hold their crop back until December so that the Congress government will purchase it at Rs 2,000 a quintal. That works out to an effective bonus of Rs 690 a quintal,against the Rs 300 being promised by Raman Singh. There are farmers sceptical about the Congresss promise too. The Congress-led Centre has fixed it at Rs 1,310 a quintal. Had Congress been really serious,it should have announced Rs 2,000 a quintal in the first place, says Shivprasad Sahu,also middle-aged,of Jamdi village in Baikunthpur. He is yet to harvest his crop. While these farmers weigh their options,each party faces the additional challenge of ensuring its traditional supporters are not swayed by the other partys promises. The BJP has promised Rs 2,400 a quintal, observes Jaychand Kumhar,a young farmer from Dansara village in Sarangarh,whose family traditionally supported the Congress. He appears unaware that Raman Singhs promise comes with a caveat about extracting an MSP from the Centre. The Congresss 35-kg-free rice scheme,meanwhile,is not just a referendum on the Raman Singh government. The Congresss election promises have virtually become also a pilot test for its food guarantee law at the national level ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. In a way,the outcome of this election will provide a pointer the effectiveness of the strategy of more populism to beat the populism of the incumbent.
