Opposition to unite over farm distress, jobless growth

NEW DELHI: Opposition parties have started discussions on jointly taking up growth in unemployment and agrarian distress and make the two concerns linked to large social segments, kisans and the youth, as longterm political planks.

The parties, who have made the presidential election the starting point for a larger strategic anti-BJP grand alliance for the 2019 polls, believe that the two issues will provide them political fodder for a joint fight against the NDA government even after the presidential polls.

Therefore, a meeting which NCP president Sharad Pawar has called this Wednesday as head of the coordination committee of the Opposition parties for the presidential poll will see parties expressing concern about farm distress and growth in unemployment, Opposition leaders said, besides taking stock of the presidential poll.

During the past few days, many senior Opposition leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, Digvijaya Singh, Sharad Yadav, Sharad Pawar, Sitaram Yechury, Sudhakara Reddy and D Raja have held discussions on the need to jointly take up the issue of farmers and unemployment among the youth.

The Maharashtra loan-waiver and Madhya Pradesh chief minister’s all-out damage control exercise are unlikely to satisfy Opposition parties. The leaders are likely to demand a nation-wide debt waiver for farmers, as was done by the UPA-1 regime. They also want the Centre to implement BJP’s electoral promise of enhancing procurement prices of farm products.

Following Rahul Gandhi taking up the issue of diminishing jobcreation, the Congress leadership has already decided to take up the subject as one of its key issues against the Centre. Now, the Congress also wants jointmobilisation along with likeminded Opposition parties to highlight how more and more youth are finding it difficult to be gainfully employed.

On the presidential poll, Opposition parties are keen to first see the moves of the ruling side. The Opposition presumes that the BJP panel will only may make ‘token’ contact with it to complete formalities of ‘consulting’ before fielding a candidate that will make contest inevitable. Wednesday’s meeting will see parliamentary floor leaders of various Opposition parties further taking up these issues.