Turmeric and sorghum farmers in large numbers have pitch-forked into the poll arena and are setting the political narrative in Nizamabad constituency of Telangana, giving a new twist to the re-election campaign of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Raos daughter K Kavitha.
The constituency,where these crops are grown in a big way, hit the headlines after about 170 farmers filed nominations for the April 11 Lok Sabha elections in protest, alleging that the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi failed to ensure Minimum Support Price for turmeric and red jowar (sorghum) produce and in getting the Turmeric Board established.
TRS Rajya Sabha member D Srinivass son D Arvind is contesting from BJP, while AICC Secretary Madhu Yashki Goud is in the fray from Congress in Nizamabad.
TRS won eight out of the nine Assembly segments in the Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency in the 2018 Assembly polls.
The sitting MP said despite her repeated representations to the Centre, the NDA Government failed to set up the Board in Nizamabad.
"Is it I who gives the Turmeric Board or the NDA government? I request farmers to question BJP leaders on the issue.
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I tried my level best to persuade the centre for the Board," Kavitha had said at a public meeting.
Gangadhar Baddam, a farmer who filed his nomination, said the TRS Government 'failed' to deliver on its poll promises such as support price for turmeric and red jowar.
He further said despite several agitations, the Government did not heed to the demands and alleged that it even tried to suppress the stirs.
He alleged that ruling TRS leaders threatened them with dire consequences if they contested the polls en masse.
"We are contesting in the election as a mark of protest.
The TRS failed to deliver us the promises it made during the 2014 polls. They promised Turmeric Board for the regions.
It could not do it. It also failed to get us the minimum support price for turmeric and red jowar," Gangadhar said, adding, the villages of all the 170 contestants are supporting their move.
TRS leaders from the constituency could not be reached for the partys stand on the allegations.
Madhu Goud said he is confident of winning the polls, given his earlier track record of developing the constituency.
He was an MP for two terms from 2004 to 2014.
"It is my strength first (for winning this election) and secondly the false promises made by Kavitha (of TRS party).
The nominations of nearly 200 farmers reflect her failure as an MP.
There is video evidence where she said she will not seek votes if she failed to ensure setting up Turmeric Board in the region," Goud told PTI.
He further said she also failed to open units of Nizam Sugar factories that are non-functional in the region for several years.
Goud alleged that the TRS and BJP are hand in glove.
The sitting TRS Rajya Sabha MP's son is the BJP candidate here.
The Chief Minister's daughter is contesting on the TRS ticket.
What proof do you require, he asked.
Arvind said the growing 'nationalism' among the people would be one of the keys to success.
He is confident of the 'ground work' he carried out during the past 18 months in the constituency in nurturing it.
"It is majorly Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image, the amount of ground work I carried out and Kavithas failures," he says, noting her 'failure' to get the Turmeric Board established.
The constituency has total of 15.53 lakh voters.
The Election Commission said polls in Nizamabad would be conducted through paper ballot as there are 185 candidates, a number which is much higher that what the EVMs can accommodate.
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