HYDERABAD: With only 15 turmeric farmers from
Telangana and Tamil Nadu being able to file their nominations from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat to contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the ones whose nominations were not accepted due to various reasons staged a dharna in front of the Varanasi collectorate and have threatened to take the matter to the
Election Commission of India.
“They have imposed rules which are not prescribed by the ECI. They insisted that we should physically present the 10 proposers and that their mere signatures or thumb impressions will not do. This is not part of the rules and the whole move appears to have been created to prevent us from contesting,” Deivasigamani PK, Turmeric Farmers Association president and Tamil Nadu farmer told TOI over phone from Varanasi. The returning officials completely failed to perform their duties and we intend to complain to the ECI, he added.
Farmers alleged that they were hounded by local authorities for three days in order to ensure that they do not get local proposers. Each nomination must have the signature of 10 proposers. “However, officials insisted that we should physically present the proposers. Though we did arrange them, they were not allowed to enter the premises,” said Kotapati Narasimham Naidu, Turmeric Farmers Association president from Telangana. Out of the 54 farmers who reached Varanasi, proposers were ready for 35 farmers.
Farmers said that the officials gave them tokens very late after making them wait for three hours. In all, 15 turmeric farmers filled their nominations by Monday evening and another 20 farmers were inside the collectorate waiting for their turn. “At the last minute, several opted out. However, with the help of local advocates and people, we were able to get the support and some of us could file our nominations,” said Deivasigamani, who could not file his nomination, said.