Crops of Contention: How ‘political’ are crops shaping Maharashtra’s election battles

As Maharashtra gears up for elections, crops such as onion, soybean, cotton, and sugarcane take centre stage, transitioning from agricultural products to political instruments. In rural areas, these crops are not just harvests but vital issues that dominate election campaigns and influence voter sentiments.

During the recent Lok Sabha elections, the ruling BJP alliance faced significant backlash from onion farmers adversely affected by the central government’s export policies, which led to substantial financial losses. The resentment has carried over to the assembly elections, despite farmers receiving better prices than during the national elections.

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“We spend almost ₹60,000-75,000 per acre on onion cultivation, but often fail to recover our production costs due to inconsistent government policies,” said Akash Doke, a farmer from Aurangabad. Farmers have repeatedly called for the establishment of an onion-specific corporation to safeguard their interests, a demand that remains unaddressed. Onion farmers hold significant sway in at least 55 assembly constituencies, highlighting their political clout. Meanwhile, higher retail prices have created dissatisfaction among consumers.

Soya and cotton

Soybean prices, another hot-button issue, have sparked debates across Marathwada, a critical region in the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi both addressed the issue in their campaign speeches. But agricultural researcher Sominath Gholwe argues that such discussions barely scratch the surface of the problem. “Soybean is entirely a political crop, with political economics intertwined at every stage, from sowing to sales. The central government’s policies are often aligned with the interests of industries, traders, and processing sectors rather than the farmers themselves,” Gholwe said. He emphasised that, while farming is a means of livelihood and survival for cultivators, government policies undermine this foundation.

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Cotton farmers, particularly in Vidarbha, continue to face a grim reality, with reports of suicides reflecting an ongoing socio-economic struggle. Maharashtra is the second-largest cotton-producing state in India, involving over 4 million farmers. “Cotton farmers are already burdened by low prices, the imposition of 12-18 percent GST on agricultural equipment, and erratic weather. This year, unseasonal rains have devastated 19 lakh hectares of cotton crops, and the compensation promised by the Central government has yet to materialise,” stated Congress State President Nana Patole in a recent letter to Prime Minister Modi. He accused the government of prioritising traders’ interests over farmers’ welfare.

Sugar mills as power centres

Sugarcane, traditionally a political mainstay in western Maharashtra’s sugar belt, now extends into the drought-prone regions of Marathwada and parts of Vidarbha, where local politicians are replicating the model by establishing sugar mills. These mills serve as power centres, enabling politicians to control essential institutions such as district central banks, credit societies, and village irrigation systems. Unsurprisingly, many election candidates in these regions are sugar barons, consolidating their influence.

As these crops dominate the political discourse, their intertwined economic and political implications underscore the complex dynamics that rural Maharashtra faces in the electoral arena. Addressing inflation combined with agrarian distress is one of the major challenges the ruling BJP led alliance faces in the state