Accusing the BJP-led central government of "betraying" the farming community, the Consortium of Indian Farmers Association (CIFA) announced on Wednesday its decision not to vote for the party in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
"Our consortium comprising 13 farmers' organisations has decided not to vote for BJP candidates in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Besides, we have also decided that farmers should also not vote for BJP contestants in coming assembly elections in some states including Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh," CIFA president Satnam Singh Behru said at a press conference in Chandigarh.
He said their intention of boycotting BJP candidates should not be construed that farmers wanted to give benefit to any particular political party during polls.
"We have appealed to growers to vote for candidates of non-BJP parties or an Independent candidate. This decision was taken to teach a lesson to the BJP for betraying the farming community," Mr Behru said.
"The BJP had promised that it would implement Swaminathan Commission report in its poll manifesto in 2014. But after coming to power, the BJP government refused to implement it," he said.
Alleging the government of being "anti-farmers", Mr Behru said the BJP government was "playing a cruel joke" with the community by hiking wheat minimum support price (MSP) "by just Rs 105 per quintal".
"Farmers' input cost has gone up considerably and the government has given just Rs 105 a quintal increase in wheat MSP which is grossly inadequate," Mr Behru said.
Why BJP Lost Lok Sabha Polls In Uttar Pradesh - 6 Reasons In Party Report Only 5 BJP MPs Achieve Over 50% Victory Margin In 2024 Lok Sabha Polls Kirodi Lal Meena Quits As Rajasthan Minister, Fulfills "If BJP Loses" Promise Bangladesh Imposes Curfew, Deploys Military As 105 Die In Protests "Jindal Group Executive Showed Porn, Groped Me On Flight": Woman To NDTV Over 300 Indian Students Return Home As 105 Bangladeshis Killed In Protests Joe Biden Is The Best Person To Take On Trump, Says His Campaign Wife Among Two Jailed For Life For Man's Murder In Gurugram: Cops 1,100 Flights Cancelled In US As Microsoft Outage Disrupts Operations Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.