The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Chhattisgarh has chosen agriculture development as a focal point of its poll preparation strategy for somewhat still distant 2018 Assembly polls.
Going by the sops, already extended to farmers and the agri-based agenda announced by State Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal on the second and concluding day of the two-day State BJP Working Committee meeting here, the party is apparently looking at the wide farmer vote bank first to concretise its future poll plans well ahead of 2018 Assembly polls.
Notably, Agrawal in his speech presented a very detailed account of the ongoing agricultural activities in the State. The Minister while presenting 'Agriculture proposal' said Chhattisgarh has been included in the phase-1 of National Dairy plan under which 53 new societies will be formed, 53 automatic milk collection units and 18 chilling centers with capacity of 31,000-liter milk will be established in the State.
He also detailed about various provisions made by the Central and State Government for the farmers.
A political proposal on Agriculture was also presented by the Agriculture Minister that was endorsed by voice vote by the party's members.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh remarked later in his speech, "After two-and-half years when party workers will reach among the public then their heads would be held high because we have provided a fairly transparent and development oriented Government to the masses."
While paying tributes to late Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee, he pointed out BJP's coalition Government in Jammu & Kashmir as the victory of the party.
"Our party workers are engaged in spreading BJP's ideology in insurgency-hit Bastar region, which is worth lauding," he said and termed the previous UPA Government at the Centre as 'the most corrupt regime'.
State Revenue Minister Prem Prakash Pandey remembered Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee and outlined his contributions to the nation.
BJP National General Secretary Saroj Pandey speaking about two years of Narendra Modi Government at the Centre said that party's victory in Assam is public approval of policies adopted by the Central Government.
BJP National Co-Organisation Secretary Saudan Singh, State Party President Dharamlal Kaushik, Union Minister of State for Mining and Steel, Vishnudev Sai, former MP Nand Kumar Sai, State General Secretary Girdhar Gupta, along with other members also took part in the programme.