The farmer-unions who are spearheading the farmers’ protests are preparing to escalate the battle in a political way. The leaders of the unions said that they would be visiting the poll-bound states and would seek votes in favour of the parties who are standing against the BJP.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the umbrella body which is leading the farmers’ protests has launched the MSP dilao abhiyan, and has made serious attempts and taken measured steps to widen the support base for the farmers’ movement beyond the periphery of Punjab, Haryana, and the national capital borders.

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Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh & Telangana will be targeted by the farmer-unions first for the campaign over the guarantee on MSP. BKU-leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said that the farmers would also rally in West Bengal and Kerala which would be heading into elections in the coming months, in order to ask the people to not vote for BJP, given the indifference of the saffron party towards the plight of the farmers.

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Preparation of the farmers for the long haul

As the farmer leaders are planning to spread the movement across the country, which will cost BJP political credibility in the face of the upcoming state elections, the preparations near the Delhi borders show the determined nature of the protesters, who are making arrangements for the long haul over the upcoming weeks of the protests against the farm-laws.

After talks between GOI and farmers broke down in January, a video of an air-conditioned tractor-trolley equipped with solar-powered battery offers an insight into how farmers protesting at Delhi’s borders are preparing for the long haul.

The man in the video explained that to brave the summer heat, the trolley has a split AC and a mini water tank with a washbasin. He further added that its interiors too are of top quality.

“The kind of carpet I have used in this cabin is rarely seen even in Canada and UK,” he added.

The air-conditioned trolley, which is currently getting the finishing touches in Punjab, also comes with internet connectivity, surveillance cameras, and solar panels placed on the roof.

“A solar panel has been installed on the top of the trolley to counter government power disconnection threats,” the man said.

In Delhi, temperatures are expected to go well beyond 40 degrees during the summer months. Officials of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that this February, in Delhi, the average maximum temperature recorded was the second-highest since 1901.

Hence, the installation of the AC, apart from the setup of water purifiers, bore-wells, wifi hotspots shows that the farmers are not going to give up so easily on the fight against the three farm-laws.