Anti-climax? Just one turmeric ryot in poll fray

HYDERABAD: Seventyfive-year-old turmeric grower Sunnam Esthari from Nizamabad district will be the only farmer among 25 who will be testing his luck as an independent candidate from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a second successive win in the May 19 elections. Apart from Esthari whose nomination has been accepted, an activist fighting on behalf of fluorosis victims will also be in the fray against Modi.
“ Only one farmer Esthari and fight against fluorosis activist Manav’s nominations have been accepted. None of the nominations filed by Tamil Nadu farmers have been accepted. We, however, do not know the reasons for rejection of nominations of 24 farmers,” Kotapati Narsimham Naidu, president, Telangana Turmeric Farmers Association, told TOI.
In all, 45 turmeric farmers demanding that a turmeric national board be set up in Nizamabad had gone to Varanasi to file nominations. But, only 25 could file papers on Monday.
Speaking to TOI over phone from his village of Erugatla in Balkonda assembly constituency, Esthari said he filed the papers along with others to highlight their problems on a national podium. “ I have three acres and I had cultivated turmeric. I incurred a loss of Rs 1 lakh. For a small farmer like me, it is a huge loss,” he said.
Esthari said that due to frequent loss of crop, he had to sell two acres.
“I had five acres of land before,” he explained. Meanwhile, the farmers have decided to take up the issue with the Election Commission in Delhi. “ On Friday, we will go to Delhi and complain about how some of us were denied an opportunity to file nominations. On top of it, those who have filed nominations were also rejected except one,” A Tirupati Reddy, whose nomination was also rejected, said. Farmers are now planning to hold a press conference and highlight how officials in Varanasi did not let them file their papers.