Rakesh Tikait rules out poll plunge; warns parties visiting protest site 'Won't get votes'

As politicians continue to meet farmers camped at Delhi's borders, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait on Sunday, said that he will not contest polls. He also told political parties to not come to the protest sites seeking votes as it was not their protest. Claiming that the government was trying to mislead the farmers, Tikait said that farmers are ready to hold talks with the Centre. 

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Tikait's political journey

The Muzaffarnagar Jat farm leader has been at the forefront of the farm movement at the  UP-Delhi borders. With the dip in farmers' protest after the 26 January violence and Red Fort incident, Tikait re-energised the protest as he called for farmers to head to Ghazipur, while breaking down on camera saying, " I will commit suicide, but won't vacate the protest site". His ardent plea evoked a massive response with thousands of farmers camping at Ghazipur. Tikait's call was in response to the Yogi government's order to vacate the Ghazipur protest site within 24 hours - cutting off water, electricity and internet.

Tikait has contested in the 2007 UP Assembly elections from the Khatauli seat with Congress support and the  2014 Lok Sabha polls on a Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) ticket from Amroha - failing to win either. Tikait's father - Mahendra Singh Tikait was a reknown farm leader who did a 24-day gherao of the Meerut Commissionerate for increasing the official sugarcane price in 1987 and later a week-long rally of half-a-million farmers at New Delhi’s Boat Club lawns in October 1988. The Tikait family is also close to the RLD chief Chaudhary Ajit Singh and other Jat leaders including Indian National Lok Dal’s Abhay Singh Chautala and Rashtriya Loktantrik Party’s Hanuman Beniwal - all of whom have thrown their support behind Tikait.

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Politicians throng Ghazipur

The farmers' protest has taken a definite political turn with Manish Sisodia visiting the Singhu border and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh addressing the Kisan Mahapanchayat at Muzaffarnagar. Moreover, several politicians like Abhay Singh Chautala, Chaudhary Ajit Singh, Sanjay Singh, Arvind Kejriwal spoke to Tikat after he broke down with Singh proclaiming, 'if Rakesh Tikait was arrested, we will get arrested with him'. AAP, which had opposed the three Farm Laws in Parliament, has demanded its repeal and provided assistance to the protesting farmers at Delhi borders with free wi-fi, medical aid, food and water. After the UP government cut off electricity and water supply at Ghazipur - asking farmers to vacate, the Delhi government provided them necessary amenities. Protests against the Centre's three Farm Laws continue for the 67th day.

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