Akhilesh Yadav mocks BJP's farmer outreach; predicts 'they will vote against BJP in 2022'

On Thursday, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav took a dig at BJP's plan to reach out to farmers amid the ongoing protests against the agrarian laws. He contended that the saffron party had remembered the farmers as they will soon emerge as an important vote bank in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls due early next year. However, he asserted that farmers will not fall for the false promises of the JP Nadda-led party. He also claimed, "Farmers will vote en bloc against BJP in 2022". 

Farmer outreach

Earlier on Wednesday, sources told Republic that the farmer leaders of the saffron party will visit 104 constituencies of western UP to listen to the problems of farmers. Moreover, a huge meeting of farmers will be held in Lucknow on August 25 followed by a 'Kisan Sammelan' in Meerut between December 5-10. Apart from this, the saffron party will also organize a 'Kisan Chaupal' (street meeting of farmers) in every village of UP.

As per sources, a meeting of 200 farmers with UP CM Yogi Adityanath will be arranged to ensure that their concerns are resolved. This is being perceived as a counter to Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesperson Rakesh Tikait who has been mobilising farmers in the state by organising Kisan Panchayats. Lambasting the BJP government over issues such as pending dues of sugarcane farmers, irregularities in the wheat purchase, costly electricity and inflation, Tikait has warned that farmers will "boycott" BJP in the UP as well as the Uttarakhand Assembly election. 

Impasse over agrarian laws

At present, the talks between the Union government and the farmers' unions over the three farm laws have come to a standstill. This is owing to the fact that farm associations refused to agree to the Centre's proposal for suspending the implementation of the aforesaid legislation for one and a half years. The divide between the two sides further exacerbated on January 26 after the farmers' tractor rally turned violent resulting in 510 Delhi police personnel getting injured and extensive damage to public property.

While the Supreme Court has stayed the implementation of the farm laws, a committee appointed by the apex court submitted its report pertaining to the legislation in a sealed cover on March 19. So far, 6 states- Punjab, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, West Bengal and Delhi have passed a resolution in their respective assemblies demanding the withdrawal of the farm laws. This demand found resonance even in the recently concluded Monsoon Session of Parliament.