Rahul Gandhi Challenges BJP’s Makhana Board Pitch in Bihar

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Congress leader claims “Dalit-Bahujans toil without fair returns,” while BJP highlights Makhana Board creation to boost global trade.

By TRH State Desk

PATNA, August 23, 2025 — Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sharpened his farmer-outreach politics in Bihar on Saturday, meeting makhana cultivators in the fields and accusing the BJP government of neglecting those who form the backbone of the industry.

In a strongly worded post on X, Gandhi noted that while Bihar produces 90% of the world’s makhana, the farmers and labourers who “toil day and night in the sun and rain” do not even earn 1% of the profits.

“In big cities, it sells for ₹1,000–2,000 per kilo, but these hardworking people, the foundation of the entire industry, receive only a nominal price,” he wrote, adding that the “extremely backward and Dalit-Bahujan” communities form 99% of the labour force, while profits are cornered by a handful of middlemen.

The attack comes just months after the Union Budget announced the establishment of a Makhana Board, projected by the BJP as a step to enhance value-addition, exports, and farmer incomes. The ruling party has pitched the board as part of its Bihar-focused development narrative, ahead of elections.

However, Gandhi framed the issue as one of social justice and economic equity, calling the plight of farmers an example of how “the vote-stealing government neither values nor cares for them.”

The makhana debate has become politically charged, with its surging demand not just across India but also in the Middle East, creating a new tribe of traders and exporters. While the BJP argues its institutional reforms will ensure farmer benefits, Gandhi is positioning himself as the voice of those left behind in the supply chain.

Incidentally, the B JP had unleashed a major wave of narrative building exercise by flooding media platforms with write ups on how the constitution of the Makhana Board will be a gamechanger for Bihar. Gandhi has sought the BJP narrative by directly holding an outreach with Makhana farmers.

However, industry observers state that Makhana cultivation in Bihar is increasingly witnessing an emergence of a group of businessmen who are taking control of a large number of ponds in the Mithila areas of the state. Gandhi on Saturday met labourers who work on such ponds to pluck off Makhana from the waters.

With the Makhana business confined to a tiny group of traders, the BJP is struggling to connect the narrative with the people on a largescale per Patna-based political observers. Gandhi at the same time is spotlighting the deep economic divide in the state.

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