Punjab, UP poll promises take aim at farmers

Experts say state governments can at best waive only a small part of farmers' loans

A key focus of the poll manifestos of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the others in the agrarian states of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh is farmers.

Both states are battling agrarian distress. Farmer suicides, sugarcane farmers not receiving payments and poor returns for produce are all issues.

In their manifestos for the Punjab election, due on February 4, all three big contenders — the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP combine, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress – have promised crop loan waivers. In Punjab, the Akalis have even promised leasing of 100,000 acres abroad, including in the US and