Farmers Movement Archive

BJP rolls out tractor rallies on UP’s poll pitch

LUCKNOW The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has begun rolling out tractor rallies in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh (UP). And over the next 15 days, over 30,000 roaring vehicles, with farmers and BJP leaders on board, would criss-cross the state with party flags, symbol and messages. Each tractor show would comprise 200 to 500 vehicles. The inaugural rally with 410 tractors was taken out from Mau in eastern UP (Purvanchal) on Tuesday. The BJP’s tractor rallies would continue till November 30 and conclude in Bijnor in western UP. The BJP initiative, timed amid the ongoing farmers’ stir, is aimed at connecting with farmers and the start of each tractor rally would see marketing of government schemes while the conclusion over ‘jal paan’ (snacking) in rural settings would also revolve around efforts to blunt the impression of the government being “anti-farmer”. The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), which is spearheading the farmers’ agitation, too had taken out tractor rallies. WHY TRACTORS? “Tractors are a sign of rural prosperity. They symbolise satisfied farmers and also indicate their growth. So, these tractor rallies are meant to convey that the farmers have prospered under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath,” said Kameshwar Singh, UP farmers’ wing chief. RALLIES AREN’T JUST ABOUT FARMERS ALONE The launch destination - Mau Sadar assembly segment – for instance was chosen after much consideration. The BJP has never won this seat since 1956 while the current MLA Mukhtar Ansari has been winning it continuously since 1996, twice as an independent candidate. “Mau was previously known for various other reasons. But now, with mafias either behind bars or on the run, Mau is now scripting a development story,” said Singh. Mukhtar Ansari, for whom the UP government fielded a battery of lawyers to ensure that he was brought back to the state from Congress-ruled Punjab, is currently behind bars and BJP leaders have repeatedly flagged Yogi Adityanath government’s crackdown against criminals and mafias prominently in the run-up to the 2022 UP polls. Recently, union home minister Amit Shah credited the Adityanath government of helping free Purvanchal from “mafia aur macchar” (mafia and mosquitoes). Prime Minister Narendra Modi too has been mentioning the BJP government’s crackdown on criminals in UP prominently in his speeches during his visits to the state, which are increasing as elections draw closer. Since August, the BJP has constantly been holding farmer-connect campaigns. In August, the party held ‘kisan samvaad’ (dialogue with farmers) at 298 places in 95 such assembly segments with sizeable presence of sugarcane farmers. This was followed up with a meeting of farmers at the chief minister’s residence on August 25. In September, kisan sammelan (farmer meetings) were held across the state while in October gram kisan chaupals (rural farmer meets) were held in 40,000 villages. “In November, we are taking out tractor rallies and in December we will hold assembly-wise meetings. In January, we will launch a programme ‘chalo gaon ki ore’ (head towards villages) where we would connect with the countryside,” said the farmers’ wing chief. In a major pro-farmer outreach initiative in August, Adityanath had announced that cases against farmers for burning crop residue would be withdrawn and a decision was taken to reimburse monetary penalties levied on farmers. Orders were also issued to not disconnect power supply of farmers due to pending bills. “Of the 403 assembly segments in UP, nearly 399 are believed to be fully or partially rural in character. In the past too, the BJP had or for that matter other parties, had focused on rural UP. Now, the tractor rallies by the BJP are obviously aimed at connecting better with the countryside and that makes good political sense,” said Irshad Ilmi, a veteran political observer. “This celebratory rally is yet another brutal and brazen display of indifference showcased by the BJP government. This government is expert in marketing and so it is trying to cover up farmer distress through such antics. But, the people are watching. Rural UP will teach the BJP a lesson,” said Congress leader Zishan Haider.

Hindustan Times

17-11-2021

Lucknow