NEW DELHI, Nov 23: IANS-CVoter conducted a snap poll across India to find out what ordinary Indians think about the demand by farm leaders that Parliament must pass a new law providing legal guarantee to minimum support price. As of today, the government provides MSP for 23 crops.
More than 61 per cent of the respondents seemed to agree with the demand for legally guaranteed MSP, with just 21 per cent opposed to it. Expectedly, a higher share of opposition voters supported this demand than NDA voters. But more than 54 per cent of NDA supporters agreed with the demand.
Respondents were then asked a related question if they would agree with a similar demand made by other farmers for legally guaranteed MSP on food items like milk, fruits, vegetables, eggs, chicken and the like.
Close to 70 per cent of the respondents made it clear they would agree with this demand if it came up. More than 63 per cent of NDA supporters agreed with this hypothetical demand.
Concerns have been raised about the ability of the government to raise the resources and the finances to buy all food grains and horticulture products at legally guaranteed prices. But the respondents did not seem to share this worry.
62.6 per cent suggested that the government can afford to pay legally guaranteed MSP for all crops. A majority of opposition supporters also agreed.
Is India, then, witnessing the return of populism with a vengeance?