Power Over Prices: How Political Interference Skewed Agricultural MSP Decisions in India (2014–2024).

This research paper investigates how politicalinterference has influenced economic decisions in therealm of agriculture in India, focusing specifically on theMinimum Support Price (MSP) system between 2014and 2024. Through an in-depth analysis of MSP trends,electoral timelines, fiscal data, and policy documents,this study reveals how MSP decisions have deviated fromeconomic rationality to serve political interests. Theresearch employs both qualitative and quantitativemethods including timeline analysis, budgetaryevaluation, and comparative crop pricing studies. Thepaper concludes by arguing that MSPs, originallyintended as protective economic tools, have transformedinto politically expedient instruments, creating longterm inefficiencies in India’s agricultural and fiscallandscape.