With ‘Makhana’ Masterstroke In Seemanchal & Mithila, PM Modi Shifts Poll Focus To Bihar’s Superfood – Delhi News Daily

The prime minister’s visit on Monday can be termed a reply to Gandhi and also the start of Makhana politics in the poll-bound state. (News18)

On Monday, apart from a brief stopover in poll-bound West Bengal, PM Narendra Modi’s main focus will be poll-bound Bihar. In a state where Rahul Gandhi released a video of how Makhana (foxnuts), globally touted as a superfood, is made “with the blood and sweat of farmers”, the prime minister will launch the National Makhana Board.

“The board will promote production and new technology development, strengthen post-harvest management, promote value addition and processing and facilitate market, export and brand development in Makhana, thereby benefiting the Makhana farmers of Bihar and the country,” said a government statement.

Earlier in August, Gandhi released a video where he said: “Our ‘superfood’ Makhana—have you thought where it comes from? Who makes it and how? Makhana is the product of the blood and sweat of farmers of Bihar; it sells in thousands, but the income is a pittance—the entire profit goes to the middlemen. Our fight is against this injustice—the worker should get the right for his hard work and skill.”

The prime minister’s visit on Monday can be termed a reply to Gandhi and also the start of Makhana politics in the poll-bound state.

Key districts like Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, Saharsa, Katihar, Purnea, Supaul, Kishanganj and Araria serve as the primary hubs of foxnut production. The prime minister will visit Purnea on Monday, where he will inaugurate the interim terminal building at the New Civil Enclave of Purnea Airport that will enhance passenger handling capacity in the region.

While Purnea itself is part of Bihar’s Seemanchal area, the foxnut-producing districts that Modi will try to woo are divided between Mithalanchal and Seemanchal. Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, Saharsa and Sapaul are part of Mithila region, while Katihar, Purnea, Kishanganj, and Araria are part of Seemanchal bordering West Bengal.

Both these regions have outsized political significance. Seemanchal alone has 24 assembly seats. Thus, winning here can significantly influence whether a party or coalition reaches a majority. What’s more interesting is that Seemanchal has a sizeable Muslim population, with seats like Kishanganj having 70 per cent Muslim voters. However, this region has remained comparatively underdeveloped.

So, when PM Modi addresses from Purnea on Monday, apart from laying the foundation stone and inaugurating multiple development projects worth around Rs 36,000 crore, it will also be an attempt to win the trust of minority voters ahead of year-end elections.

“Seemanchal is an important area from a strategic point of view and Purnea airport will usher in a new era of development. This will bring new investment and increase connectivity in the region that has historically needed such developments. The prime minister, who previously visited Darbhanga, Gaya, Bhagalpur and Madhubani in the region, stressed that it deserves an important avenue of national development. In the prime minister’s vision of ‘Purvoday’, Bihar works as a gateway to eastern India where infra push will help with the prospects of the region as a whole,” Guru Prakash Paswan, Bihar BJP leader, told News18.

To overcome Bihar’s power shortage, PM Modi will lay the foundation stone of a thermal power project that will be the state’s largest private-sector investment worth Rs 25,000 crore. He will also lay the foundation stone of Phase 1 of Kosi-Mechi Intra-State River Link Project and flag off many new trains connecting Bihar. Apart from this, he will inaugurate a Sex Sorted Semen Facility at Purnea, participate in Griha Pravesh ceremonies being held for 40,920 beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna and distribute Community Investment Funds.

Given that the row over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Rahul Gandhi’s Vote Adhikar Yatra seem to have generated a buzz among voters, the party is now trying to woo both Mithila and Seemanchal with ‘Makhana’ and ‘Vikas’.