Prez takes credit for farmer loan waiver

New Delhi: It's a battle royale between the two powerful ladies in Indian politics - Sonia Gandhi and Pratibha Patil. The issue is: Who got the farmers loan waiver passed? The entire UPA has been united in hailing the Congress President as the brain behind the move.

Congress Spokesperson, Tom Vadakkan had even said: "It is Sonia Gandhi behind the whole farmer's strengthening process launched by the UPA."

Now though, there is a twist in the tale. President Pratibha Patil is claiming credit for the Rs 60,000 crore loan waiver which many think was one of the keys to UPA's spectacular performance in the general elections.

Speaking exclusively to CNN=IBN, the President's aide, Christy Fernandes, made it clear that it was Pratibha Patil who felt more strongly than anyone else for the farmers and worked towards their interest.

Fernandes said, "Not many people know that it was the President who spearheaded the move and gave advice to the Government on the subject. She had said that the Government must have an appropriate mechanism by which the plight of the farmers can be addressed and this was what resulted in the mass loan waiver given by the previous Government."

Till now, the battle for taking credit for wooing farmers was between Sonia Gandhi and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. But with the President herself entering the credit-taking domain the battle has taken a more interesting turn.

Congress ka haath aam aadmi ke saath (the Congress stands with the common man) - that was the slogan for UPA's victory in 2004. In 2009, it was Congress ki sarkaar, gareebon ke sarkaar (Congress Government is for the poor people). On both occasions, Congressmen heaped praises on Sonia Gandhi for thinking about the plight of the farmers, but with the President's new revelation this equation could well change now.

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#farm loan waiver #Congress #Sonia Gandhi #Pratibha Patil #Sharad Pawar