More farmers commit suicide when Congress is in power: Amit Shah

Mumbai :Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah raised the issue of farmers’ suicide during a press conference in Davangere in poll-bound Karnataka. Blaming the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government for the woes of farmers, Shah said that more farmers die when Congress is in power, and the numbers come down when the government in a state is that of the BJP.
“Farmers in Karnataka are facing trouble today and are compelled to commit suicide because of the apathy of the Congress government in the state,” said Shah.
He further claimed that while the opposition parties spread reports of farmers committing suicide across the country, “the fact remains that there is decline in number of farmers’ suicide in states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan where the BJP has been in power for long”.
According to the BJP chief, there has been a decline of 30 per cent in cases of farmers’ suicide in Maharashtra. Shah added that in BJP-ruled states, more farmers have died because of reasons other than farming and agriculture.
Lashing out at the Karnataka Chief Minister, Shah said, “Siddaramaiah is sleeping.”
He assured that a BJP government, led by former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, in the state will ensure that the farmers get their due and are not compelled to take the extreme step.
This came shortly after the Election Commission announced the dates of Assembly elections in Karnataka. While the polling for the 224-member Assembly will be held on May 12, the counting of votes will happen on May 15.
While the Congress is aiming to retain power in Karnataka, the BJP is putting in all its might to get the state into its kitty. If BJP manages to win Karnataka Assembly elections, the party will be in power on its own or in an alliance in 22 states. Currently, Punjab and Karnataka are two big states apart from Mizoram which are ruled by the Congress.