Farmers to campaign against BJP in UP Assembly polls

Farmers protesting against the Central farm laws on Thursday announced a "Mission Uttar Pradesh" campaign to be started from September 5 ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections in the state.

Speaking to ANI, at Singhu border, farmer leader Prem Singh Bhangu said, "Our next stop will be Uttar Pradesh, BJP's heartland. Our Uttar Pradesh mission will begin on September 5. We will totally isolate BJP. There is no alternative other than to repeal three farm laws. We are ready for talks.

Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls are scheduled to be conducted next year. In 2017, the BJP won a landslide victory winning 312 Assembly seats. The party secured a 39.67 per cent vote share in the elections for 403-member Assembly. Samajwadi Party (SP) bagged 47 seats, BSP won 19 while Congress could manage to win only seven seats.

Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws: Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

So far, several rounds of talks have been held between the Centre and farmer leaders to break the deadlock between the two parties.

( With inputs from ANI )