ANALYSIS/AGRICULTURE

THE SWEET DEALERS Some of India’s top politicians have a deep interest in the sugar industry. Here’s why

of India’s total sugar Mulayam Singh Yadav 37.2% production Samajwadi Party In 1993, he reduced the tax of Akhilesh Yadav government societies—that act as a bridge between farmers Samajwadi Party and sugar mills—forcing many Uttar Pradesh Uttar In 2012, he too further reduced the societies to close down society management tax

Mayawati Bahujan Samaj Party In 2010, she sold 21 government-run mills at throwaway prices to her political friends. CBI has filed a case against her

Maharashtra of India’s total sugar 33% production Radhakrishan V Patil NCP Congress Party He and his party leaders His family owns 3 mills; control about 187 owes Rs 68 crore to factories farmers

Vijaysinh Mohite Patil Ashok Chavan BJP Congress Party Earlier in Congress Owns 4 sugar mills; and CM; owns 3 he is known as nawab of sugar mills Nanded district

Pankaja Munde Karnataka BJP BJP of India’s total sugar Family owns 7 sugar mills Owns 3 sugar mills in production in Marathwada region; owes Vidharbha district 11.3% Rs 64 crore to farmers Shamanur Shiva Seeking captive vote banks Shankarappa State of Congress Party arrears Proportion of constituencies where sugar mills chairpersons Owns sugar mills in contested elections in Davanagere and Bagalkot 45 State elctions National elctions districts C3,040 Cr 40 35 Karnataka 30 Satish Jarkiholi and 25 brothers 20 Congress Party/BJP C4,999 Cr 15 Maharashtra 10 Five brothers based 5 in Belgavi district own 0 1994-95 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98 2003-04 4 sugar mills C10,102 Cr Source: Sweetening the Deal? Political Connections and Sugar

GRAPHIC: SANJIT / CSE Uttar Pradesh Mills in India, Sandip Sukhtankar, Dartmouth, USA, 2011

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