Mumbai, Oct 28: In an attempt to take wind out of its alliance partner NCP's sails, the ruling Congress legislators from Vidarbha today demanded a price of Rs 2,500 per quintal for cotton and threatened to resign over the issue if the DF government fails to accede to their request. "We demand that cotton growers should get Rs 2,500 per quintal for the commodity purchased by the government. Similarly, the government should continue with its monopoly cotton procurement scheme", Congress legislator Laxmanrao Tayade, who attended the meeting of party MLAs, told reporters here.
The Congress MLAs huddled together at the residence of Minister of State for Energy Manikrao Thakre to deliberate over the matter after getting wind that NCP legislators from the backward region of the state are slated to meet tonight to discuss the issue of cotton price.
Besides Thakre, Congress ministers in the DF ministry including Babasaheb Dhabekar, Vasant Purke, Bandu Sawarbandhe, and Vasudha Deshmukh attended the meeting.
Both Congress and NCP--the ruling partners in the DF government--have swung into action after the BJP strongman from Vidarbha Nitin Gadkari threatened to resort to an agitation if government fails to announce remunerative prices for the commodity.
With assembly elections slated for next year, the political parties are attempting to derive political mileage over the issue, concerning lakhs of cotton cultivators in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions.
Bureau Report