Jagan's plan to visit mango market sparks controversy
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
's scheduled visit to the Bangarupalyam mango market in Chittoor district on Wednesday.
The visit comes amid a deepening crisis for mango farmers in the region, who are grappling with a bumper harvest and plummeting prices. The situation worsened after pulp processing units in the district refused to purchase Totapuri mangoes, citing unsold stock from previous seasons. In response, the state govt intervened with a market intervention scheme, offering a subsidy of 4 per kg to farmers.
While on one hand the state govt maintains that it has sped up the process of mangoes procurement and everything is under control, the ground reality and the woes of the farmer has only worsened further.
While the YSRCP leaders maintain that the former CM has scheduled his visit to Chittoor district to expose govt's failure leading to the crisis, the NDA parties have questioned the very timing of Jagan's visit to Chittoor district.
State biodiversity board chairman Neelayapalem Vijay Kumar and TTD board member and BJP functionary G Bhanu Prakash Reddy questioned the rationale behind Jagan's visit to the mango market in Chittoor district when the mango season itself was drawing to an end in a couple of weeks. "When the YSRCP was in power and there was a slump in mango prices the mango farmers were in distress, Jagan did nothing to extend support to farmers", Neelayapalem added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
SBSP steps up activity in Mau to stake claim for bypoll ticket
Lucknow: BJP ally Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party has begun spadework to stake claim for contesting the Mau assembly bypoll — necessitated after the disqualification of SBSP MLA and late gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari's son Abbas Ansari, after his conviction in a hate speech case. SBSP chief and UP panchayati Raj minister Om Prakash Rajbhar told TOI that the party has deployed its functionaries at the booth and sector levels to bolster the organisational structure. He said party functionaries of various castes have been stationed in villages to organise 'chaupals' (village meetings). Rajbhar said the party will hold more than two dozen chaupals every day in Mau, which has a sizable population of Rajbhars, who form the party's core vote base. Rajbhar's focus on chaupals and booth-level mobilisation, especially in a constituency with a strong Rajbhar presence, is being seen as an effort to cement SBSP's status as the voice of non-dominant OBCs while projecting the party as not just a BJP ally, but a grassroots force in its own right. The party, experts said, might also be testing its bargaining power with the BJP, besides increasing its legislative presence and visibility ahead of the 2027 UP elections. I nterestingly, the constituency is dominated by Muslims, who comprise around 35% of the total electorate. This voting bloc has traditionally been aligned with the Ansari family for nearly two decades. Mukhtar won the seat twice on a BSP ticket (in 1996 and 2017), twice as an independent (2002 and 2007), and once as a Quami Ekta Dal (QED) candidate in 2012. Mukhtar died in Banda jail following a cardiac arrest in 2024. His son Abbas won the seat in 2022 on an SBSP ticket, which was then an ally of the Samajwadi Party. He defeated BJP's Ashok Singh by a margin of 48,000 votes. Rajbhar, however, snapped ties and joined the BJP-led NDA in 2023. Rajbhar reiterated that his party was a runner-up in the seat in 2017 and won it in 2022. "Mau has been our constituency. We groomed it for long," Rajbhar asserted. Sources said that Rajbhar's elder son, Arvind, camped in the constituency to oversee the political spadework. A senior SBSP leader mentioned that Rajbhar seeks to play up the issue of social justice and sub-division of OBC and SC quota. BJP sources, however, said that a formal decision on who would contest the Mau bypoll would be taken after the Election Commission issues the notification for the same. Speculations have been rife that the bypoll may be held along with the Bihar assembly elections later this year. "The byelection in Mau would be contested by NDA. A broader consensus would be drawn soon," a BJP functionary said, asserting that all poll parameters would be factored in before any decision is taken. Nevertheless, analysts said, the BJP sought to formulate its strategy on the lines of by-polls in the Muslim-dominated Kundarki and Rampur assembly seats, which it won in 2024 and 2022, respectively.
India Gazette
6 hours ago
- India Gazette
Former Andhra CM Jagan Reddy demands mango procurement at Rs 12 kg, slams Naidu govt over farmers' distress
Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh) [India], July 9 (ANI): Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has demanded that the coalition government immediately procure the entire mango produce from farmers at Rs 12 per kilogram. Expressing solidarity with distressed cultivators, Reddy alleged that the government is using coercive methods to suppress the farmers' voices and asserted that he would continue to raise their concerns. Speaking at the Market Yard in Chittoor on Wednesday, Jagan said, 'Over 76,000 mango farmers in the region had cultivated the fruit on more than 2.20 lakh acres, yielding an estimated 6.45 lakh tonnes. However, farmers were forced to sell their produce at distress prices as they were not being offered a Minimum Support Price (MSP). He questioned why mango procurement, typically carried out in early May, was delayed this year, leading to a glut and a sharp fall in prices.' The former CM demanded, 'The government purchase the entire produce at Rs12 per kg to support the farmers. He also recalled that during the YSRCP's tenure, mango farmers had received Rs 29 per kg, and Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) had actively monitored the crop throughout the season.' He also criticised the delay in procurement this year, which he claimed reflected the inefficiency of the Chandrababu Naidu-led coalition. 'In just one year, prices dropped after the coalition government took office. Usually, mango procurement should take place in early May, but this time it was not undertaken, resulting in a buildup of produce and a drastic fall in price, which highlights the Chandrababu Naidu government's inefficiency,' he added. 'It's disheartening that nowhere else in the country are farmers forced to sell their produce at a distress price of just Rs 2 per kg. Recently, the Karnataka government has sought the Centre's support to procure mangoes at Rs 16 per kg. If Karnataka could do it, what's stopping Chandrababu Naidu? Why hasn't he taken it up with the Centre to ensure fair prices for our farmers?' he questioned 'When YS Jagan comes to express solidarity with the farmers, why should there be so many restrictions, and what is wrong if farmers come to pour their woes when the situation is so bad, with no input subsidy coming and no marketing facilities or MSP being paid?' Jagan added. He further stated, 'Police harassing the farmers, arresting them and detaining over 1,200 farmers speaks of the insensitiveness of the government and YS Jagan will always be there to question the government on farmers' issue, be it mirchi, tobacco, mango or the unfulfilled election Super Six promises of Chandrababu Naidu. Likening farmers with rowdy elements is uncalled for, and the majority of the population of Chittoor district are dependent on agriculture.' Recalling the proactive approach of his government, he noted that under the YSRCP regime, RBKs ensured timely access to quality seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides.'E-cropping was done in a proper manner. The government used to buy the produce through Markfed when the prices fell,' he said. He alleged that the current coalition has failed to ensure MSP or extend incentives to farmers, regardless of the crop. 'Under the coalition government, farmers are not getting MSP for mirchi, tobacco, mangoes, millets or any crop, and farmers are not getting the incentives due to them, he said and warned the government against taking coercive steps against those coming to the rally,' Former CM Reddy said. Responding to Jagan's remarks, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) National Spokesperson Jyotsana Tirunagari launched a sharp rebuttal, accusing the YSRCP chief of political opportunism. 'Jagan Mohan Reddy, in my opinion, seems to suffer from what I would call an attention-seeking disorder. Every time he is in power, he neglects the people. And every time he is in opposition, he portrays himself as the messiah of the people. He keeps saying, 'I'm here, I'm here, I'm here,' as though only he can save the state.' She added,' If there were awards greater than the Oscars for acting, I believe Jagan Mohan Reddy would be a top contender. His performances, especially the stark contrast between his time in power and his current theatrics, are truly award-worthy.' (ANI)
The Hindu
7 hours ago
- The Hindu
NDA government in Andhra Pradesh has pushed farmers into a debt trap, rendered them bankrupt, alleges YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday lashed out at the NDA government in Andhra Pradesh for 'throwing the farming community into a debt trap, rendering them bankrupt, and escaping from the responsibility of providing them minimum support prices (MSP) for crops,' Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy was speaking after interacting with the farmers at the mango market yard at Bangarupalem, 25 km from Chittoor. 'No crop is getting MSP after the change of government. The NDA government is in a deep slumber. I have come here to wake it up. From now on, I shall directly lead the fight against the government to ensure justice to the farmers,' Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said. Demanding that the government immediately procure the Thotapuri variety of mangoes at ₹14 per kg, besides bearing the transportation and labour charges, he said the government was acting 'heinously' by hatching a conspiracy to suppress the voice of the farmers with false cases and illegal arrests. 'When the neighboring Karnataka is buying mangoes at ₹16 a kg, why can't our State do the same?' Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy questioned. He said that government knew that around 76,000 farmers in the undivided Chittoor district cultivated over 6.42 lakh tonnes of mangoes on 2.6 lakh acres. He deplored the alleged police action that stopped farmers from reaching the venue. 'More than 2,000 police have been deployed to prevent the farmers from coming here. Over 1,200 farmers have been detained. The government is treating farmers like rowdy-sheeters,' the former Chief Minister alleged. Demanding transparency from the State on its claims of providing MSP to the mango farmers, he said, 'The government should now show the statistics. How many tonnes have been procured and how many farmers paid ₹14 a kg?' Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said mango farmers had received ₹22–₹29 a kg between 2019-24. 'Now, getting ₹1 per kg is a herculean task. The present government has weakened the RBKs and village-level agri labs have been made defunct. The farmers are deprived of capital investment or input subsidies,' he alleged. He asked the police personnel to not fall for the government's 'allurements and corruption.' He said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu would abandon them and he (Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy) would be the one to support them again.
