Himachal: Sanyukt Kisan Manch call evokes mixed result

Subhash Rajta

Shimla, June 7

The decision of the Sanyukt Kisan Manch (SKM) to oppose the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections has yielded mixed results. The SKM, a group of 27 fruit growers, may not have tasted as much success as the farmers of Punjab and Haryana in its stated objective to damage the saffron party in the elections, but it did manage to make its presence felt. Out of the just seven Assembly constituencies where the Congress candidates managed to secure a lead over their BJP rivals, five are major apple producing constituencies. These include Rohru, Jubbal and Kotkhai, Rampur, Kinnaur and Aani.

The SKM had given a call to vote against the BJP candidates and the SKM officials even held press conferences to mobilise fruit growers against the BJP. The SKM came out against the BJP over the party’s unfulfilled promise of raising the import duty on apple, and other issues related to GST on farm inputs and equipment, MIS, etc. The SKM convener said their decision to oppose the BJP openly at least made apple an issue.

“The top leaders of the Congress spoke about our issues several time. The BJP top brass refrained from talking about apple issues but the state BJP leaders did talk about it,” said Chauhan.

The SKM convener further said that the apple growers expect all parties to work towards resolving the issues of the apple growers