Dissecting Shivraj Chouhan & Vasundhara Raje's new-found love for farmers

Oblivious so far to the plight of the tiller, their sudden cosying up may have roots in something beyond the upcoming assembly polls

Last week, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley clarified in the Rajya Sabha the parameter for calculating the cost of production of farm produce.

On Tuesday, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje announced a loan waiver of Rs 50,000 for small and marginal farmers of the state in her Budget for the 2018-19 fiscal.

In Bhopal, the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government announced a bonus of Rs 200 per quintal over the minimum support price (MSP) for wheat and paddy farmers.

These decisions, made in the span of a fortnight, were no coincidences, particularly for