Bharat Bandh on Sept 27: Which political parties backing farmers’ resistance

Agencies

September 26, 2021

The Bharat Bandh or the nationwide strike declared by farmers on September 27 to protest against the three central farm laws has garnered support from several political parties. The strike on Monday, which is to be led by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) – an umbrella body of farmers' unions spearheading the anti-farm law protests – has now received support from the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led Andhra Pradesh government; meanwhile, the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). And the Left parties have already extended support to the Bharat Bandh earlier.

The deadlock

The Bharat Bandh has been called by the farmer unions to protest the three contentious agricultural laws passed by the central government, against which the farmers have been demonstrating

The government and farmer unions have held 11 rounds of talks so far, the last being on January 22, to break the deadlock and end the farmers' protest. Talks have not resumed following widespread violence during a tractor rally by protesting farmers on January 26.

The three laws—The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020—were passed by the Parliament in September last year.

Farmer groups have alleged that these laws will end the mandi and minimum support price (MSP) procurement systems and leave the farmers at the mercy of big corporates, even as the government has rejected these apprehensions as misplaced and asserted that these steps will help increase farmers' income. The Supreme Court in January stayed the implementation of the three laws till further orders and appointed a panel to resolve the impasse.

Which political parties have supported the Bharat Bandh?

YSR Congress

The YSR Congress-led Andhra Pradesh government is the latest political quarter to throw its weight behind the September 27 Bharat Bandh called by the farmers.

The announcement was made by Andhra Pradesh information and transport minister Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani) said on Saturday. He said that the state government, led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, has extended its ‘full support’ to the Bharat Bandh on September 27 in solidarity with the concerns of farmers. Additionally, the Andhra Pradesh government is also supporting the concerns of the Visakhapatnam steel plant workers, who have been opposing privatisation attempts by the central government.

In view of this, Nani said the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to stop APSRTC buses across the state from September 26 midnight to September 27 afternoon. The minister, however, appealed for peaceful protests in the Bandh.

Aam Aadmi Party

The AAP has also supported the Bharat Bandh call issued by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha on September 27. Announcing the party's support for the nationwide strike in solidarity with the farmers, AAP leader Raghav Chadha said on Saturday that party supremo and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has always stood by the farmers against the “black laws.”

Congress

The Congress on Saturday extended its support to the Bharat Bandh and demanded that discussions be initiated with the protesters. Calling for a “peaceful” strike, Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said the party and all its workers are in support of the Bharat Bandh call given by farmer unions against the Centre's three farm laws.

The Congress leader also demanded that the MSP should be given as a legal right to every farmer “as they do not want only 'jumlas' (rhetoric)” and referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise to double the farmers' income by 2022.

Telugu Desam Party and Left parties

n a bid to make Bharat Bandh called by San successful, a meeting was held on Wednesday at Andhra Pradesh's Communist Party India (CPI) office by left parties, Congress, and Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

During the meeting, Donepudi Sankar, CPI State leader said, “Farmers have been agitating for nine months in Delhi, so this Bharat Bandh will be held to support them.”

In a joint statement, the Left parties – the CPI, CPI(M), All India Forward Bloc, Revolutionary Socialist Party, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) – urged people to extend support to the Bharat Bandh, noting that the “historic” farmers' struggle demanding the repeal of the agri-laws is now in its tenth month.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav extends support

Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav extended his support to Samyukta Kisan Morcha's (SKM) call for Bharat Bandh on September 27.

In a tweet on Friday, Tejashwi Yadav said, “In the meeting of the top leaders of the Mahagathbandhan parties held at the residence today, it was unanimously decided to participate and support the Bharat Bandh called by the United Kisan Morcha on September 27, in protest against the anti-farmer policies of the NDA government. We are firm with the farmers.”

Meanwhile, Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday denounced the call for Bharat Bandh by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha against the Centre's three contentious farm laws on September 27, saying disrupting economic activities post-Covid-19 was not in the interest of the nation.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Karnataka Assembly bypolls: Ruling Congress wins all 3 seats; setback to BJP-JD(S) alliance

News Network

November 23,2024

Bengaluru: In a boost to the ruling Congress in Karnataka, the party on Saturday swept the by-polls to three Assembly segments, causing a major setback to the BJP-JD(S) alliance in the state.

The Congress has retained Sandur, the seat considered to be its strong hold, and has also bagged Shiggaon and Channapatna segments, which were earlier held by BJP and JD(S) respectively.

The November 13 by-polls to Sandur, Shiggaon and Channapatna Assembly segments had witnessed a fierce fight between the ruling Congress and a combative BJP-JD(S) alliance.

The by-polls to Sandur, Shiggaon and Channapatna were necessitated as the seats fell vacant following the election of their respective representatives -- E Tukaram of Congress, former CM Basavaraj Bommai of BJP, and Union Minister Kumaraswamy of JD(S) to Lok Sabha in May elections.

The by-polls witnessed a straight fight between the ruling Congress and BJP in Sandur and Shiggaon segments, while in Channapatna, JD(S) which is part of the NDA alliance took on the grand old party.

Congress' C P Yogeeshwara won the Channapatna segment, defeating JD(S) candidate and Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy, by a margin of 25,413 votes.

Former CM Basavaraj Bommai's son Bharath Bommai of BJP faced defeat against Congress' Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan in Shiggaon Assembly segment by a margin of 13,448 votes.

In Sandur, Congress candidate E Annapoorna, the wife of Bellary MP E Tukaram, won the seat vacated by her husband, by a margin of 9,649 votes.

Congress' win in the by-poll is seen as an endorsement of both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar's leadership, and the government's programmes, especially the five guarantee schemes.

Nikhil Kumaraswamy and Bharath Bommai, the third generation of Gowda and Bommai family respectively, who contested this bypolls, have lost. Their fathers and grandfathers had served as Karnataka's Chief Ministers in the past.

While for Bharath Bommai this was his electoral debut, for Nikhil it was his third electoral loss.

Among the three segments, Channapatna was considered to be a high profile battle, where the contest was between C P Yogeeshwara and actor-turned-politician Nikhil Kumaraswamy.

A five-time MLA from the segment and a former Minister, Yogeeshwara had joined the Congress after quitting BJP ahead of nomination.

There were plans to field Yogeeshwara on a JD(S) ticket, but he was not interested in it, and instead wanted Kumaraswamy to support him as BJP candidate. This was not acceptable to Kumaraswamy and his party, following which Yogeeshwara jumped ship.

However, Kumaraswamy had subsequently said he had agreed to Yogeeshwara contesting from BJP, and despite that he jumped ship to Congress, under the influence of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and his brother and former MP D K Suresh.

Nikhil had faced defeat in 2019 Lok Sabha and 2023 Assembly polls. It is seen as a setback for Kumaraswamy too, as he could not ensure son's win from the Channapatna, the seat he had twice represented in the past.

Congress' win is crucial for Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief and his brother Suresh to strengthen their position in their home district of Ramanagara, a Vokkaliga heartland.

In Shiggaon, BJP's Bharath Bommai, son of Basavaraj Bommai lost against Congress' Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan, who had faced defeat against the former Chief Minister in the 2023 Assembly polls.

Initially, former MLA Syed Azeempeer Khadri, a Congress' ticket aspirant, had raised a banner of revolt in Shiggaon, by filing his nomination as an independent, but later withdrew after intervention by party leadership.

In Sandur, Bellary MP Tukaram's wife E Annapurna of Congress won from the seat vacated by her husband, against BJP ST Morcha president Bangaru Hanumanthu, who is considered close to party leader and former mining barron G Janardhan Reddy.

Sandur is a Congress' bastion, and Tukaram had represented it four times.

Congress winning the by-polls is seen as "crucial" for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to assert himself , amid demands for his resignation following charges against him in the MUDA site allotment case.

There were also behind-the-scenes political activities within the ruling Congress earlier this year, with a few ministers in his Cabinet holding closed door meetings, fueling speculation about leadership change. But such activities came to a halt following instructions from the party high command.

It is equally important for Shivakumar, who has not shied away from openly expressing his Chief Ministerial ambitions, amid speculations over "rotational Chief Minister formula," according to which he will become CM after two-and-half years (in this govt's five years tenure), but they have not been officially confirmed by the party.

The defeat in this by-poll is seen as a setback for state BJP President Vijayendra, who has been facing intense criticism and opposition from a section within the party, who have raised a banner of revolt against his leadership accusing him and his father, veteran leader B S Yediyurappa of "adjustment politics".

Comments