Farmers body says this is why PM Narendra Modi led BJP lost in Hindi heartland of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan

A farmers' body claimed Tuesday the BJP's "anti-farmer" policies and "agricultural distress" led to BJP's poor electoral performance in Hindi heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

Shekhar Dixit, the president of the Rashtriya Kisan Manch, said the firing incident in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur, in which five protesting farmers were killed, was a "turning point" and a political set back for the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government.

He said this incident had dropped enough hints that the BJP was not working in the interests of the farmers.

"The dual nature of the BJP leaders while dealing with the grievances and woes of the farmers led to its poor performance in MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh," he said.

Dixit said that farmers' unrest in both Rajathan and Madhya Pradesh has eventually hurt BJP's electoral prospects in the assembly poll.

"Farmers in both the state were angry over agricultural policy decisions adopted by the BJP governments. There has been agricultural distress in both the BJP ruled states in last five years," Dixit said.