Out of 25, only 1 Telangana farmer nomination accepted by EC

NIZAMABAD: Of 25 nominations by turmeric farmers of Telangana state filed in Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is contesting, 24 nominations were rejected. The nomination of only one farmer, Isthari Sunnam of Ergatla village in Nizamabad district, was declared valid on Wednesday. The farmer will contest as an independent candidate.

Around 50 turmeric farmers of Nizamabad district in Telangana state tried to file nominations in Varanasi to draw the attention of the nation to their issues like setting up a turmeric board in the state and remunerative price for produce.

With difficulty, only 25 farmers managed to file their nominations, but only one farmer gets the chance to be in the fray.

In Varanasi, of 119 nominations, officials rejected 89 papers citing various reasons. Only 30 candidates including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and turmeric farmer Isthari Sunnam will be in the fray.

Reacting on the rejection of nominations, Telangana state turmeric farmers’ association president and TRS leader Kotapati Narasimha Naidu criticised the Varanasi election authorities of colluding with BJP leaders and rejecting the nominations of farmers.  “We will complain to the Chief Election Commissioner of India on rejection of nominations of turmeric farmers” he said.

Farmers gave Amethi a miss
However, 179 farmers along with Telangana CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter K. Kavitha had contested in the Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency on April 11 and ther-eby set a record in the country.  

During the campaign, Ms Kavitha had also called upon turmeric farmers to file their nominations in Varanasi and Amethi LS constituencies, where PM Narendra Modi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi are contesting, respectively.

But, the farmers filed nominations in Varanasi and spared Amethi and Wayanad Lok Sabha constituencies, where Rahul Gandhi is contesting.