RAHUL-FARMERS 2 LAST

One senior Congress leader, accompanying Rahul, explained One senior Congress leader, accompanying Rahul, explainedthe party’s attempt to reach out to the farming community wascrucial for it to even make a splash in the 403-member UPAssembly where it currently has a paltry 29 MLAs. "The 2008 farm loan waiver had reaped the maximumdividends for Congress in the states of Uttar Pradesh andAndhra Pradesh. In the same way, this could very well be ourtrump card. What cannot be overlooked is that the crisis ofsugarcane farmers is real and the mills owe them thousands ofcrores," the leader says. State Advisory Price (SAP) of cane has remained unchangedat Rs 280 per quintal in Uttar Pradesh, the countryÂ’ssecond-largest sugar producer, for the last four years. "I had to take a loan of Rs 25,000 this June due tosuccessive years of scanty rainfall. Rahulji met me andassured me that he will ensure that this amount is waived off.I signed the mangpatra (charter of demand) in his presence,"Om Prakash says. The marginal farmer, a self-confessed Congress loyalist,also enthusiastically points out that Rahul also spoke to hisdaughter Archita. "He spoke to me and I told him that I want to be achemist. He wanted to know why not a doctor and I said becauseof lack of money," 16-year-old Archita says. What was Rahul’s reply, the reporters ask in chorus. "Wokuch nahi bole," she walks off and so do the reporters. PTISBRDV