The Congress leadership is trying to be politically relevant on the issue of farm laws.
New Delhi: The farmers’ stir against the Centre’s farm laws has rekindled the hopes of the Congress to gain some political strength out of it. The party’s own agitational plan against the “agricultural reform laws” may have come a cropper, but the grand old party’s strategists believe that the ongoing farmers’ protests can be attributed to Rahul Gandhi’s roadshow against the same issue.
The Congress leadership is, therefore, keen to push this narrative amid the ongoing farmers’ agitation in an apparent bid to be politically relevant on the issue of farm laws. With electoral reverses, the party leaders and rank and file are crestfallen. The strategists do not want to miss this opportunity to give them a fresh lease of energy. As part of this strategy, the Congress Chief Ministers have taken the charge.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday not only attacked the Narendra Modi government for its handling of the protests by farmers over the three contentious farm laws, but also complained that President Ram Nath Kovind did not give time to meet the Chief Ministers of four Congress-ruled states.
Gehlot was referring to the states of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Punjab and the union territory of Puducherry, which are ruled by the Congress. Gehlot tweeted on Friday, “Chief ministers of all four Congress-ruled states sought time from the President to meet him to discuss farmers’ issues, but the President, perhaps due to some compulsions, could not give us time.”
Gehlot also tweeted that Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had sought time to discuss the farm laws with the President, but he also did not get an appointment. Gehlot tweeted, “The Central government made all three agricultural bills without consulting the state governments, farmers’ organizations and agricultural experts. All these three bills were passed unconstitutionally on the basis of majority without any discussion in Parliament… the Opposition had sought to send bills to the Select Committee for discussion.”
Gehlot declared the current protests by farmers were a result of the Modi government not listening to the cultivators. Gehlot demanded the Centre “withdraw the farm laws and apologise for its misbehaviour with farmers”.
The Rajasthan CM’s strongly worded attack on the Central government over the farm laws is being seen as the Congress’ renewed bid to make its presence felt amid the protests by farmers.
Earlier, the Congress’ plan to raise the farmers’ issues did not materialise, thanks to “inexperienced” strategists. The party could not collect two crore signatures of farmers till date. With other agitation activities failing to take off despite the high command’s directives, the Congress could not register its protest against the farm laws the way it should have done. But now the party is keen to derive political mileage out of the farmers’ agitation in Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh took the lead and definitely succeeded in scoring brownie points. Haryana’s former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda also led from the front in the state and gave anxious moments to the state government, with the BJP’s ally JJP blowing hot and cold on this issue. Congress wants to use the issue of farm laws to create some political problems in Haryana. With JJP under pressure from protesting farming communities, the Congress is keenly awaiting a political opportunity suiting its plan to give an alternative in the state with the help of dissenting legislators.
In what indicates the Congress’ Haryana strategy, Hooda has declared to bring a no-trust motion against the Khattar government. The BJP is the single largest party with 40 seats in Haryana Assembly.
With all this in mind, the strategists have got into action and are keeping in touch with the high command over the issue of farm laws.
Speculation about preponing elections in Punjab is also doing the rounds. Congress is leaving no stone unturned to cash in on this issue in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh as well.