The Bharatiya Kisan Union Himachal Pradesh and Samyukt Kisan Morcha have announced to embark on ‘No Vote to BJP’ ahead of the four by-polls in Himachal Pradesh and to rally support for farmers.

The call for a campaign has now unleashed a new challenge for the ruling BJP government in the state, which is staring at the by-polls for Mandi Lok Sabha and three Assembly constituencies, Fatherpur, Arki and Jubbal-Kotkhai.

Winning the Mandi parliamentary election will be very significant for the ruling party, as it is a prestige issue for Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, who hails from the Mandi district.

Addressing media persons here on Saturday, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Himachal Pradesh, President Aninder Singh Notty said, ” After the success of the campaign in West Bengal and the central government still having not paid any heed to scrap the draconian farm laws, we have decided to visit the poll-bound states across the country and mobilize the farmers against the anti-farmer policies.”

“The newly formed Himachal chapter of Bharatiya Kisan Union is getting support from other farmer fronts in Himachal Pradesh and is expanding in the district. All efforts will be made to ensure that BJP gets no support from the farmers,” he said.

Once the by-polls are announced, the campaign will start just as a trailer and the full film will be shown to the BJP in 2022 Assembly elections, he said, adding that their national leader Rakesh Tikait would also visit the state and address the rallies at Nalagarh and the Mandi in near future.

“We also will provide a platform to take up the issues of the farmers and the horticulturist of the state that include compensation to the farmers for the crop damages, Minimum Support Price (MSP) for apple crop in markets so that they are not left at the mercy of the corporates in getting suitable price for their produce,” said Aninder Singh.

The farmers of the apple producing belt are already bearing the brunt of CA stores of Adani Fresh, which artificially bring down the prices of apple boxes across the markets in the country before the fresh apple produce is ready to be sold, he charged.

He said that they will also extend support to the farmers protesting against the proposed International Airport at Balh Valley as people will lose their fertile agricultural land, which is their only source of livelihood.

“We will also demand at least two paddy procurement centres to be set up in every district,” said Aninder Singh.