Bengal’s farmers getting overpriced fertiliser, alleges BJP; Trinamool sees farmer-fund release as ‘opportunism’ linked to state polls

Bengal’s two leading political opponents – Trinamool, BJP – have blamed each other for farmers’ woes. 

The BJP-Bengal chief Sukanta Majumdar has written to the Centre pointing out alleged “fertiliser malpractices” in the state. The Trinamool, in turn, has taken a dig at the BJP saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s concern for farmers has not led to doubling of their incomes.

The trigger for Majumdar’s charge is a letter written to Mansukh Mandaviya, Union minister for chemicals & fertilzers, by Bharatiya Janata Kisan Morcha’s Bengal president Mahadev Sarkar.

The BJP’s farmer-wing leader from Bengal has alleged that farmers in the state are procuring overpriced fertiliser. This, the leader stated, is due to “lack of micro planning” of the state government for the supply chain, and the price. 

The farmers are paying the price for fertiliser that’s being asked by “the samity of supply chain store (sic)”, Sarkar has alleged. The leader has requested Mandaviya to take steps and support Bengal’s farmers. He also wants action against the alleged “malpractices”.

“Owing to the lack of microplaning of the All India Trinamool Congress govt, the farmers are paying escalated prices for fertilisers… This complete failure of the state machinery has to be addressed without any delay…,” Majumdar posted on X. The BJP leader, in turn, has also written to the central minister, forwarding the Kisan Morcha’s letter, requesting that the matter be taken up “with utmost urgency for the betterment of the farmers and the people of West Bengal”.

A day after the BJP state chief leader wrote to the central minister, the Trinamool, on Wednesday, charged the BJP in return. 

The party, on its X-handle, mentioned the prime minister’s “concern for farmers”, and stated that farmers’ income, as was promised, didn’t get doubled. “Introduced controversial farms bills & killed 702 farmers,” the party mentioned, as an allegation. 

Further, it blamed its political opponent for “increased cost of seeds, fertilisers & fuel without boosting MSP”. The party alleged that splashing of “PM KISAN funds” before the elections in five states, violates the model code of conduct. It termed the development as “shameless opportunism”.