Nizamabad: Farmers not to support any party, to repeat in local polls

Nizamabad: The farming community declared its intention to vote for the farmers who are contesting the Nizamabad Lok Sabha election on April 11. They also decided to reject the main contestants who include TRS candidate and current MP K. Kavitha.

This was decided at the Rythu Ikyata (unity of farmers) meeting in Armoor in which 179 farmer-candidates, other farmers and their family members took part. A large number of women also attended at the meeting.

Following the permission granted by the Election Commission, the farmers conducted the meeting under tight security wearing traditional green kanduvas. They are demanding `10,000 per quintal of turmeric and the setting up of a turmeric board.

The constituency has 12,91,854 voters. There is no break-up of farmers, and more particularly turmeric and red jowar farmers. However, 4,45,815 farmers — or more than a third of the electorate — are registered with the Rythu Bandhu scheme.

Former MLC K. Nageshwar, rights activist and advocate Rachana Reddy and Kisan Keth district president M. Anvesh Reddy asked the people to vote for the farmers.

They said that Ms Kavitha had declared that she would not ask for votes if the Turmeric Board was not set up. “We will not support any political party,” they declared.

Farmers’ leaders condemned the statement of TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao who had said that “political forces” were behind the farmers' stir. “We are voluntarily conducting the movement for turmeric and red jowar prices, and for the turmeric board. Political leaders should not underestimate the power of farmers,” they said.

The farmers also decided to file mass nominations in the mandal and zilla parishad elections.

Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading.