From UPA to NDA, Badals change stance on MSP (News Analysis)

For agrarian Punjab, wheat and paddy are not only important for its agriculture economy but an emotive issue as well. So is the minimum support price (MSP) for these crops. But for Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, the stand on MSP changes, depending on who is in power in New Delhi.

Badal, who used to term hikes of even Rs.150 a quintal as a "cruel joke" with the farmers of Punjab during the past 10 years of Congress-led UPA government, is now only making muted noises about the meagre hike on MSP of wheat and rice announced by the Narendra Modi government.

The reason for the rather meek response is not hard to understand.

Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, headed by Badal's son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, has been ruling Punjab in alliance with the BJP since 2007.

The Akali Dal is part of the Modi-led government and Badal's daughter-in-law Harsimrat Kaur Badal is the union minister for food processing.

"Considering market realities and the overall prince index in the country, wheat price of Rs.1,450 could not even cover the expenditure incurred by farmers. The MSP must be hiked to a level where the mismatch between input costs of agriculture produce and MSP announced for these was removed," Badal said after the Modi government announced the latest MSP.

"The recommendations of the renowned farm economist M.S. Swaminathan on fixation of MSP of farm produce must be implemented," Badal said.

Punjab Congress leaders are now gunning for Badal.

"Badal, while rejecting the Rs.50 hike in the MSP of wheat by the UPA government, had described it as the cruelest joke of the decade," Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira pointed out.

"The Punjab government at that time had demanded Rs.1,855 per quintal MSP for wheat. Similarly, in another statement exactly two years earlier, Badal rejected Rs.1,350 a quintal MSP for wheat for 2012-13 and demanded Rs.2,200 per quintal MSP," Khaira said.

Earlier this year, in April, Badal sought Rs.500 per quintal hike in wheat MSP. But the Modi government, which came to power a month later, did not oblige him and increased it by only Rs.50 per quintal.

"The chief minister must come forward to clarify which of his demands for wheat MSP are correct? Does he stand by Rs.2,200 per quintal MSP or Rs.1,855 MSP? The contradiction exposes the confused mindset of the chief minister," Khaira said.

Punjab Congress president Pratap Singh Bajwa, while hitting out at the Badals on the MSP issue, said the chief minister should lead an all-party delegation to the prime minister.

"During the (earlier) NDA regime, the MSP of wheat had been increased only by Rs.50. Against this, the farmers benefitted to the tune of Rs.645 per quintal on wheat during the Congress regime from 2004-05 to 2012-13. This proves the NDA never had the interests of the farmers in mind," Bajwa pointed out.

Punjab contributes over 50 percent of food grains, wheat and rice, to the national kitty despite having just 1.54 percent of the country's geographical area.

(Jaideep Sarin can be contacted at jaideep.s@ians.in)