– Rajesh Mishra
Lucknow : The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faces a tough challenge in the second phase of voting for the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly being held on Monday for 55 seats in the minority-dominated and sugarcane belt.
In these districts, which are called the sugarcane belt of the state, more than half the farmers cultivate it and depend on this crop for cash. About half of the 35 lakh sugarcane farmers in Uttar Pradesh are in these 55 assembly seats and the biggest problem facing them is non-payment of dues. During and even after the farmers’ agitation, there have been gheraos, dharnas and demonstrations in these parts of the state over non-payment of cane arrears.
Farmers did not get money even after orders
From the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to the opposition parties Congress and Samajwadi Party, which are fighting in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, all in their manifesto have promised to pay the cane arrears within 14 days and interest if they are not. Although farmers say that most of the parties have already promised 14 days time limit for payment and interest on delay but till date have not received. They say that the sugar mills have gone to the court on the delay in payment of dues and even after the orders, the farmers have not received the money.
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The prestigious sugarcane research institute of the state is present in Shahjahanpur only.
The question of sugarcane cultivation in the second phase of elections is a big issue and is being raised by every party. According to government data and the sugarcane growers’ associations themselves, Bareilly district has the highest percentage of sugarcane farmers at 70 per cent. Apart from this, there are about 60 percent sugarcane farmers in Moradabad, 40 percent in Budaun, more than 50 percent in Bijnor and about 45 percent in Rampur. In other districts, Sambhal accounts for 35 per cent sugarcane farmers, Saharanpur and Amroha have 65 and 60 per cent respectively and Shahjahanpur has 35 per cent sugarcane growers. The prestigious Sugarcane Research Institute of the state is present in Shahjahanpur itself.
38 out of 55 seats in this phase in the 2017 assembly elections
Like in the first phase, most of the districts coming to the second phase of polling also have a significant number of minority voters. Moradabad and Rampur districts have more than 50 per cent minority voters, while Amroha and Bijnor have over 40 per cent. In Bareilly and Sambhal districts, their number is more than 30 percent and in Badaun it is around 23 percent. In the second phase, due to the resentment of sugarcane farmers and minority voters, the alliance of Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) is giving a tough challenge to the ruling BJP. Earlier in the 2017 assembly elections, 38 out of 55 seats in this phase were won by the BJP, 15 by the SP and two by the Congress.
BJP’s Devendra Nagpal joins from Naugawan seat
According to the Election Commission, in the second phase, a total of 586 candidates are in the fray for 55 assembly seats in nine districts. Including nine constituencies reserved for Scheduled Castes. A total of 2.02 crore voters will cast their votes at 12544 polling stations on Monday. Prominent candidates in this phase include SP’s Azam Khan and Congress’s Nawab Kazim Ali Khan from Rampur, Samajwadi Party’s Supriya Aron from Bareilly Cantt, Dharamvir Saini, minister in Saharanpur, Kirat Singh Gurjar from Gangoh and Devendra Nagpal of BJP from Naugawan seat. Huh.
Voting is going on for the second phase in Uttar Pradesh, Najibabad, Nagina (SC), Barhapur, Dhampur, Nehtaur (SC), Behat, Nakur, Saharanpur Nagar, Saharanpur, Thakur by, Moradabad Rural, Moradabad Nagar, Bijnor. , Chandpur, Bithri Chainpur, Bareilly, Bareilly Cantt, Nurpur, Kanth, Dhanaura (SC), Naugawan Sadat, Amroha, Hasanpur, Gunnaur, Bisauli (SC), Kundarki, Bilari, Chandausi (SC), Asmoli, Sambhal, Suar, Chamraua , Bilaspur, Rampur, Milak (SC), Deoband, Rampur Maniharan (SC), Gangoh, Sahaswan, Bilsi, Badaun, Shekhupur, Dataganj, Baheri, Mirganj, Bhojipura, Nawabganj, Faridpur (SC), Aonla, Katra, Jalalabad, Tilhar , Pawan (SC), Shahjahanpur and Dadraul.