Farm unions belonging to the Samyukt Kisan Morcha have issued an appeal to voters in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to punish the BJP in the upcoming Assembly elections for “betraying” farmers.
At a press conference on Thursday, SKM leaders said Mission U.P. would be carried out against the BJP, not in favour of any other party. However, the SKM’s Punjab leaders said they would not campaign for or against any party in their State, but would hold all parties accountable to farmers’ interests.
“This anti-farmer BJP government needs to be punished in the elections,” said Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait, listing the Centre’s failure to pay minimum support prices (MSP) to all farmers or set up a promised MSP committee, the lack of farmer-centric policies in the Union budget, delayed payments to UP.’s sugarcane farmers, and the problem of stray cattle as among the issues at stake. “When they come seeking your vote, ask them why they have betrayed farmers on these issues,” he said.
This is also the theme of a pamphlet being distributed across western Uttar Pradesh which is the SKM’s main campaign tool, given that mass rallies are not being allowed by the Election Commission. “The BJP government does not understand the language of truth and lies, or know the difference between constitutional and unconstitutional. This party understands only one language — vote, seat, power,” says the pamphlet which also raised the issues of assaults against protesting farmers, and the failure to punish Minister of State Amit Mishra Teni for his alleged role in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
The U.P. State chapters of SKM’s constituent organisations also raised the issue of money power being used to intimidate voters, at a meeting on Tuesday, said All India Kisan Sabha general secretary Hannan Mollah. “The 57 U.P. organisations have decided to set up a guard in villages to prevent anyone from distributing money before the elections, and hand over any perpetrators to the police,” he said. The SKM plans to hold press conferences in nine major U.P. cities before the elections. The SKM’s Haryana members have also begun campaigning against the BJP in parts of adjacent western U.P.
In Punjab, the SKM has distanced itself from two former SKM leaders — Gurnam Singh Chaduni and Balbir Singh Rajewal — who have formed their own political parties to contest the polls. “Anyone who directly asks for votes cannot be a part of us. We will not campaign for them or help them. It is not our job to get votes for anyone,” said Joginder Singh Ugrahan, who heads another faction of the BKU in the State. “We will ask questions of everyone, whether Amarinder or Akalis, or anyone else, to ensure that farmers’ interests are taken care of,” he added.
