As finance minister P Chidambaram doles out goodies for farmers, the BJP-led NDA?s plan to deny the UPA of any opportunity to win over the farmers? lobby has received a serious blow. The Opposition may now have to rework its strategy.
The BJP and its alliance partners in the NDA will have to look at ways to counter the populist tone in the UPA government?s Budget that has announced bonanzas for farmers in particular and minorities and SC/STs in general. The party put up a brave face on Friday and criticised the government for resorting to an exercise, which they said has turned out to be ?poll-friendly? instead of ?people-friendly?.
Charging that the government?s move to give debt relief to farmers is a belated one, former finance minister and senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said, ?Who is responsible for the suicides in the meanwhile. If the government had to go beyond the R Radhakrishnan Committee report on agricultural indebtedness, they could have done it early saving many of the lives.? The BJP also flayed the government for its ?unabashed attempts? to woo the Muslim community. ?The way the minority has benefited from the Budget reminds us of Liaquat Ali. If you are choosing a minority on religious grounds, it is highly objectionable,? BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
Trying to score some brownie points over the failure of the government to subscribe to the Economic Survey?s prescriptions to pep up the sliding economy, the BJP ridiculed the government for ?multiplying organisations, agencies and institutions?.
The party said it was criminal on the part of the government to ignore the infrastructure sector, which enhances absorbing capacity of any economy?both in terms of investment and consumption. ?If the capacity is increased, sustainable and inclusive growth impulses are felt,? Sinha said.