BJP vs Mahagathbandhan: Waiting for dues, western UP sugarcane farmers are weighing their options

Shamli is an assembly segment that falls under Kairana Lok Sabha seat, one of the eight constituencies that will vote on April 11. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, electors had emphatically voted for the BJP in all the eight seats— Meerut, Baghpat, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Saharanpur, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar.

Manoj Kumar, a 45-year-old cane grower from Shamli, says his disdain for the incumbent BJP government stems from his inability to pay his children’s school fee on time due to soaring cane arrears. (Express Photo by Sajin Saju)

Manoj Kumar, a 45-year-old cane grower from Shamli, says his disdain for the incumbent BJP government stems from his inability to pay his children’s school fee on time due to soaring cane arrears. “They have left us in the lurch. It has been four months since we have received any payment from mills in this crushing season. How are we supposed to pay for our children’s education? If the government can help us provide regular payment for our produce, why would we even need to rely on bank loans? A farmer’s self-respect should not be compromised like this,” Kumar says, his anger palpable.

The burning issue of cane arrear is once again in the spotlight as unpaid cane dues to UP farmers have crossed a staggering Rs 10,000 crore, including the current and previous 2017-18 crushing season. Notably, over 45 per cent of this is from six of the eight constituencies going to polls in the first phase. There are around 35 lakh sugarcane farmers in the state, a number that may prove to be a decisive factor in the elections.

READ | Challenge for UP govt: Cane dues cross Rs 10,000 crore, half from first phase poll seats

A long queue of tractor trolleys loaded with sugarcane are lined up outside the Baghpat Co-operative Sugar Mill (Express Photo by Sajin Saju)

Kumar, who says he has mortgaged his 40-bigha land to take a loan of Rs 5 lakh, further terms the current phase as “pehale se bhee bhataar (worse than before)”. His fellow villagers nodding along, Kumar points out how BJP reneged on its 2017 Assembly poll promise of ensuring farmers get full payment for their cane within 14 days of sale.

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Another farmer, Kuldeep Singh (28), firmly says he will vote for mahagathbandhan this time. “In terms of cane payment, the situation has turned worse under the present regime. Also, the BJP government has failed to curb the alarming cattle stray problem which is wreaking havoc in the fields. This time, mahagathbandhan will give a solid fight to BJP,” Singh says.

Around 60 km away from Shamli lies Baghpat. However, there is a perceptible tilt towards BJP and admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite cane arrears doubling ever since the Yogi Adityanath-led government came to power in 2017.

Shamli is an assembly segment that falls under Kairana Lok Sabha seat, one of the eight constituencies that will vote on April 11. (Express Photo by Sajin Saju)

Outside Baghpat co-operative sugar mill, a group of 15 farmers weigh in on the discussion surrounding the upcoming polls. They say even though BJP has gone back on its promise of paying dues within 14 days, the overall system of cane payment has considerably improved under the present regime as opposed to previous times.

The burning issue of cane arrear is once again in the spotlight as unpaid cane dues to UP farmers have crossed a staggering Rs 10,000 crore, including the current and previous 2017-18 crushing season. (Express Photo by Sajin Saju)

“Only two months of payments are remaining from the mill. The only problem here is the insufficient crushing capacity of this factory to accommodate the huge production of ganna. Besides, road construction and law and order in the state have improved significantly,” remarks Mahesh Kumar, 38, who grows sugarcane on his 7-bigha land.

In Baghpat, it will be a direct contest between two Jats where in alliance candidate Jayant Singh, son of RLD chief Ajit Singh, is pitted against Union minister Satyapal Singh.

“The contest would have been a lopsided affair for BJP if rivals had put up their own candidates. Since the mahagathbandhan has now decided to field a joint candidate, the fight will be neck and neck. It will surely be a thrilling election,” another farmer sums up the mood of the Baghpat voters.