"No Understanding...": Top Farmers' Body Says Won't Contest Punjab Polls
NDTV
The SKM's firm statement on not contesting the Punjab election comes after members were split on contesting the polls, with at least nine of the 32 not in favour
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha - the umbrella body of farmers unions that spearheaded the protest against the farm laws - will not contest the 2022 Punjab election, and no person or organisation should use its name, or that of its member groups, for poll purposes, the group said Saturday.
The SKM underlined the lack of consensus between 32 member groups regarding the election; those inclined to contest the election could ally with the Aam Aadmi Party, for whom party boss and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been actively courting farmers.
"The SKM - which is a platform of more than 400 different ideological organisations across the country, is formed only for the issues of farmers. There is no call for boycott of elections and even no understanding of contesting elections..." a statement from the nine-member coordination said.
The farmers' group said it had been formed "by the people to get their rights from the government" and that following the repeal of the farm laws the struggle had been suspended.
