India, Oct. 18 -- Onions, a political hot potato, are back at the centre of Maharashtra's politics. With the price of the kitchen staple plummeting 30-40% for farmers, they warn of a backlash during the upcoming local body elections.

Maharashtra is a major producer of onions, with lakhs of farmers growing it as a cash crop. But, this year, it's a dark Diwali for farmers in the onion producing regions of Nashik, Pune, Ahilyanagar, Solapur, Dhule and parts of Marathwada. They blame the central government for flooding the market with onions ahead of the festive season, to curry favour with voters.

The move, they believe, stems from a bitter lesson the BJP-led government learnt last year; only, they may have gone too far. Ahead of the Lok S...