Kairana: BJP falls back on divisive agenda; UP cane farmers restive : The Tribune India

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Kairana: BJP falls back on divisive agenda; UP cane farmers restive

LUCKNOW: A campaigning for the May 28 Kairana Lok Sabha byelections came to an end on Saturday evening, there was nervous tension in the air.



Shahira Naim

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, May 26

A campaigning for the May 28 Kairana Lok Sabha byelections came to an end on Saturday evening, there was nervous tension in the air. By its sheer timing, the byelection has acquired a significance far greater than what it is — merely an election to one of the 543 Lok Sabha seats.

For the Opposition rejuvenated by the events in Bengalaru, winning Kairana would be another feather in its cap. For the BJP, retaining Kairana is crucial for the cadres’ sagging morale after the defeat in Phulphur and Gorakhpur and setback in Karnataka.

For this, the BJP is doing what it is good at – running a divisive campaign — pushing RLD vice-president Jayant Chadhury to bring the focus back on people’s issues by reiterating “Jinnah nahi, ganna chalega”

This pretty much sums up the public mood in the region, considered the sugar bowl of the country. Here cane farmers are angry with the BJP government for not having facilitated their sugarcane dues.

The deceased BJP MP Hukum Singh had been a vocal champion of the interests of cane farmers. But he was also the architect of the divisive charges of the so-called mass migration of Hindu families from Kairana owing to “poor law and order” under the then Samajwadi Party rule– a charge which was not substantiated by facts and was later taken back by Singh himself.

Singh was also present at the controversial ‘Hindu Bachao Mahapanchayat’ on September 7, 2013, at Nagla Madod in Muzaffarnagar where provocative speeches by 40 high-profile politicians and other public figures had triggered riots, killing 65 persons and displacing more than 50,000.

Singh’s shadow continues to dominate the Kairana bypoll in more ways than one with the BJP campaign revolving around the agenda set by him. Yogi claims his government, despite inheriting empty coffers, has paid off cane farmers their dues and is restarting mills closed down by previous governments.

Belying his claims, Chaudhury points out that dues amounting to Rs 800 crore are yet to be paid to cane farmers of Kairana constituency alone.

Countering the BJP’s divisive narrative as well as her alleged role in triggering the Muzzafarpur riots is not the only task before joint Opposition candidate Tabassum Hasan. She is facing the ire of Muslim voters upset at the election coming in the mid of Ramzaan, little understanding that election dates are the prerogative of the EC. The constituency has about 5 lakh Muslim voters as against 2 lakh Jats and Dalits, respectively. The pro- active support of Muslims is crucial for the victory of the Opposition candidate.

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