Farmers Movement Archive

Will not support any party in UP assembly polls: BKU leader

Spokesperson for Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Rakesh Tikait on Monday reiterated that his party will not support any political party or alliance in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly polls. Reacting to the meeting of Union minister Sanjeev Balyan with BKU chief Naresh Tikait in Sisauli on Monday, he said, “We welcome everyone. We will extend our best wishes to any candidate (of any party) who comes to meet us. But the question of giving support to anyone does not arise.”On Sunday, Naresh Tikait had appealed for support to Rashtriya Lok Dal-Samajwadi Party alliance in the UP polls. However, he later withdrew his statement. Rakesh Tikait is camping at BKU camp in Magh Mela here for the ongoing three-day ‘Chintan Shivir’ of farmers at Parade Ground that started on Sunday.Interacting with media persons, he said farmers and he had come to Magh Mela to deliberate on the problems of the farmers. “There will be no talk of politics here. Nor will farmers be asked to vote for any party,” he said. Tikait expressed his displeasure against the state government on the question of the amount being sent to the farmers’ accounts under direct benefit transfer scheme and the BJP’s promise doubling their income, which, he alleged remained unfulfilled.“Everything is a lie. The government should get a gold medal in lying. Minimum support price for paddy is not yet available. In many states, farmers are getting electricity free of cost. When we demanded that free electricity be given to farmers in Uttar Pradesh too, the government gave subsidy. Payment of sugarcane farmers is still stuck. There is a resentment among the farmers over all these issues. If leaders go to seek votes, farmers will definitely ask these questions,” he claimed.He said after 13 months of nationwide farmers’ agitation, if the farmers voted on the issues of crops and development, its effect will be very much visible this time around. Tikait, however, praised the government for giving some relief to farmers in the area of mining.

Hindustan Times

18-01-2022

Other