Rahul Gandhi meets Chhattisgarh farmers ahead of assembly polls

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Kathiya village near Raipur in Chhattisgarh on Sunday, where he helped farmers and labourers in harvesting paddy and interacted with them.

Congress leader took to microblogging platform X to highlight the work done by his party government for farmers in Chhattisgarh.

Posting in Hindi, Gandhi listed the five decisions taken by the Congress government led by chief minister Bhupesh Baghel in Chhattisgarh that have helped farmers prosper: a minimum support price (MSP) for paddy of Rs 2,650 per quintal, Rs 23,000 crore input subsidy to 26 lakh farmers, Rs 10,000 crore worth loans waived for 19 lakh farmers, electricity bills cut by half, Rs 7,000 per year to 5 lakh farmers.

Gandhi said he wishes to replicate the model in the rest of India too. 

Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh will be held in two phases on 7 and 17 November, and counting will be held on 3 December.

In 2018, the Congress won 68 out of 90 legislative assembly seats in Chhattisgarh, with a vote share of 43.9 per cent. 

Reservation has been a significant issue in the state's politics, and has gained in prominence since the caste census issue came to the fore.  Following the caste-based survey in Bihar and the subsequent release of the results, this political issue has gained momentum in other states, and Chhattisgarh is no exception.

Considering the population of the state's SCs, STs, and OBCs, the Congress has announced its intention to conduct a caste census upon coming to power.

Rahul Gandhi has said a caste-based census is like an X-ray that will detect the problems of the OBCs, Dalits and tribal populations in the country and how much representation they should get.

Leaders from the Congress, including chief minister Baghel and other party members, have been vocal in their support of the caste census, emphasising its importance. However, the BJP has not openly expressed its stance on this matter.

Baghel has launched several attacks on the BJP regarding the caste census, highlighting that more than 43 per cent of the state's population belongs to the OBC category, as revealed in the economic survey conducted by his government.