Bihar's deputy Chief Minister, Sushil Kumar Modi's announcement to entitle the state Bataidars (sharecroppers) and landowners to Kisan Credit Cards has led to protests from the state legislators. The legislators are demanding his resignation. Kisan Credit cards are becoming increasingly popular with farmers.

The minister also said that cultivators would not be required to show land possession certificates (LPCs) for loans equal to or less than Rs 50,000.

"It appears that Modi has not taken a lesson from BJP's debacle in the by-elections," said senior BJP legislator and former minister Chandramohan Rai, adding: "This move will drive a nail in to the NDA coffin."

Clarifying his stand, Modi said "The government has no intention, whatsoever, to infringe upon the rights of the landowners," he said, adding: "The central government and Nabard have issued guidelines for the KCC and the grant of loans up to Rs 50,000 to the farmers and sharecroppers without asking them to produce LPC."

The minister said that the state government was only implementing the guidelines laid by the Centre and NABARD and would not do anything that tamper with the landowners' rights.

The legislators, however, were not convinced. They said that the centre and Nabard had done a right thing by preventing the farmers from trouble of producing the LPCs but had not mentioned sharecroppers in the guidelines. The Bihar government added the sharecroppers as beneficiaries.