Bathinda: Locked in a tussle with the BJP-led Union government over the three agriculture laws, the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has decided to campaign against the saffron party in the five poll-bound states. Elections are scheduled in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry from March 27 to April 29.
Select morcha leaders will visit these states and make appeals to people to vote against BJP and its allies in the upcoming assembly elections. SKM has said it would not support any political party but would ask people to vote for any party or candidates capable of defeating BJP candidates.
One SKM leader will visit Kolkata to participate in a rally on March 4 and then a full delegation will visit Kolkata on March 12 to participate in a rally. Then SKM activists will visit various constituencies in West Bengal making appeal to vote against BJP.
The plans to visit other poll-bound states will be made in due course of time. Initially, SKM was averse to indulge in politics but has now decided to shun the aversion, say farm leaders.
In addition, the morcha has decided to block traffic on Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway for five hours from 11am to 4pm on Saturday, the day the farmers’ protest on Delhi borders will complete 100 days. The morcha also gave call to people across the country to put black flags at their homes or business establishments, wear black bands or black clothes to register protest against the central government.
Before that SKM will start a campaign ‘MSP Dilwao’ (provide MSP) from Gulbarga in Karnataka on Friday and will reach out to various other places in Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh. The morcha also given call to observe International Women Day on March 8 in a big way at all the protest sites and have women manage the stages.
SKM has also given call for an anti-corporate and anti-privatisation campaign, along with trade unions of the country, to be started from March 15.
Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said, “As the Narendra Modi-led BJP government is acting against farmers, we have decided to provide political blow to BJP. Our teams will move to poll-bound states with an appeal to the people to vote against BJP. We want BJP should be defeated in these five states as only then it would listen to us.”