After promising free irrigation electricity, the Samajwadi Party announced on Monday that if elected, it will provide minimum support price (MSP) for all crops, pay sugarcane farmers their dues within 15 days, and provide farmers with interest-free loans, insurance, and pensions.
The promises made here by party head Akhilesh Yadav may make it into the party's official manifesto for the 2022 Assembly election. He had previously offered domestic homes 300 units of free electricity.
He even stated that his party was prepared to establish a "revolving fund" to ensure cane producers receive their dues. "Even if we have to establish farmers' revolving fund, we will do it so that payments to farmers do not halt."
Akhilesh, along with farm leader Tajinder Virk, who was injured in the October 3 incident in Lakhimpur Kheri when a convoy of cars ran over protesting farmers, took a pledge, with grain in their hands, to defeat the BJP in the coming election.
"We accept this anna sankalp [grain vow] that we will defeat and remove the BJP, which has carried out atrocities and injustice against farmers," Virk added, extending his support to Yadav and urging other farmers to defeat the BJP.
Akhilesh further stated that the SP will withdraw all cases filed against farmers and offer Rs.25 lakh compensation to the families of each farmer who died in the protest against the now-repealed farm bills.
The SP's promises to farmers ahead of the election, which will be held in the western parts of the state, where farmers have staged protests and continue to face challenges in receiving cane payments on time, will vote first.
Also, On January 18, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav stated that the party has included 300 units of free electricity in its electoral manifesto. "The Samajwadi Party has included in its manifesto the provision of 300 free units of electricity. The campaign for this will begin tomorrow. Under this campaign, the registered name on the power bill will be put in the form," he added.
