While speculations like the farmers’ protests have fallen in intensity, have been doing rounds, the reality is totally opposite. Farmer-leaders are escalating the movement in the form of Mahapanchayats at various cities in West UP, Haryana and Rajasthan. The farmers and their leaders are in fact spreading the movement across the country by planning to rally in specific states, where BJP is going to polls this year. This step begins its execution today onwards in the state of West Bengal, where the farmer-leaders would be rallying in mahapanchayats to urge the people to vote against BJP.

Scorching heat of Farmers’ protests over the new farm-laws has reached poll-bound West Bengal as eight leaders of Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) arrived in Kolkata on a three-day visit to campaign against the BJP.

Few days back in Kolkata, there was a citizen’s march where people across various work profiles had gathered and raised voice and slogans against BJP & RSS. In that march, diverse people like a worker from a hosiery factory, a research scholar from Geneva, a professor, and many others were present. It had seen participation from the supporters of the farmers’ protests as well.

Also See: An overview of farmers’ protests- role of Charan Singh

The farmer-leaders from Punjab will address five rallies including the ones in Nandigram and Singur, the same Assembly constituencies where Mamata Banerjee had spearheaded the movement against forcible land acquisition and emerged as a firebrand leader.

Senior leaders Rakesh Tikait, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Gurnam Singh Charuni, Darshan Pal, Yogendra Yadav, Yudhbir Singh, Manjit Singh, and Himanshu Tiwari will hold rallies under the banner of West Bengal Kisan Mahapanchayat. The trend started on March 4, when farmer leader Rajinder Singh Deep Singh addressed a rally organized by the forum to “save Constitution and West Bengal from the fascist forces”.

Also See: Overview of the Farmers’ unions in the protests

The SKM’s visit to Nandigram is said to be significant as the East Midnapore pocket has become the epicentre of the fierce battle between the ruling party TMC and the BJP as the Chief Minister is contesting the election from the constituency by taking on her former aide & protégé Suvendu Adhikari.

Also see: Trilateral fight in West Bengal election 2021

In the context of the farmers’ movement, a senior TMC leader stated, “While addressing a rally in Haldia last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to woo the farmers in East Midnapore. The SKM is not urging the electorates to vote in favour of us. Their agenda is to take the people of Bengal into confidence so that they do not vote for the BJP in the upcoming Assembly elections. Voting against the BJP will result in our electoral dividend.”

Also See: Would West Bengal election really be a three-way fight after the defections?

The SKM also issued a letter urging West Bengal’s farmers not to vote for the saffron brigade. In the letter, the SKM said, “BJP’s defeat in the election will force the Centre to repeal the farm-laws.”

Citing the SKM’s narrative, the TMC leader said that the appeal of the farmers’ organization, which caught national attention by staging demonstrations at Delhi borders, would directly benefit the TMC.

The TMC leader added, “They are appealing to the people for votes for any political party who can defeat the BJP. In Bengal, BJP made deep inroads riding the vote-share of the CPI(M). Our Chief Minister supported SKM’s movement. It is clear to Bengal’s electorates that we  are the only political force in the state which can defeat the BJP.”