With MP at stake, Gandhi rides bike

Sensing the opportunity to connect with protesting farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi visited the state after a five-hour long drama on the MP-Rajasthan border. Though the state police tried to stop Mr Gandhi from visiting the epicentre of the protests, the Congress vice-president managed to enter the state on bike defying police barricades. Once a Congress stronghold, Madhya Pradesh had elected the  BJP thrice. MP is one of the few states in the north, where the Congress still the prime Opposition party, and dissatisfaction among farmers could help the Congress electorally.

The Congress’ bandh call affected some western parts of the state. Former Congress MP from Mandsaur, Meenakshi Natarajan, was detained when she was on her way to meet the family members of the deceased. The BJP, however, alleged that there was a “conspiracy” behind the ongoing agitation of farmers in Madhya Pradesh, and asked Mr Gandhi to refrain from “politicising the death of farmers” in MP. Meanwhile, a video was run by television channels, where senior MP police official was seen telling his men to crackdown on the protesters, who he suspected, were infiltrated by some anti-social elements.