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Lok Sabha polls 2019: Farmers to march yet again, this time seeking votes for their leader
They will be asking fellow farmers and tribals to vote for JP Gavit, present MLA from Kalwan in Dindori
A little over a year after they drew the attention of the entire nation by marching to Mumbai for their demands, farmers in north Maharashtra are set to march again. This time, the march through Dindori constituency in Nashik, is for seeking votes for JP Gavit, one of the organisers of their march.
Hundreds of farmers (around 5,000, according to CPI(M), the party leading them) have packed their bags, loaded trucks with food and clothes, and hired water tankers to accompany them, from one village to another over the next three days, between April 19 and 21. They will be asking fellow farmers and tribals to vote for Gavit, present MLA from Kalwan in Dindori. The main issue they will highlight during the march is that of solving the perpetual water crisis and drought.
Gavit is contesting from Dindori. He is pitted against BJP’s Bharati Pawar and NCP’s Dhanraj Mahale in this constituency reserved for ST candidates due to significant tribal population.
He has been at the forefront of the farmers’ protests over the past two years, and is the lone leftist MLA in the assembly.
Gavit said, “This is a show of solidarity — a rally with farmers, asking their fellow voters to give the community’s problems right representation, this time at the union level.”
In March 2018, over 50,000 farmers marched to Mumbai from Nashik for their demands, which included ownership of forest land that they were tilling, loan waiver and solutions to the area’s water crisis, among other demands. Almost a year later, commenced the second farmers’ long march to Mumbai from Nashik. This was called short after the government gave its nod to their demands.
Sunil Malsute, who is co-ordinating the election campaign for Gavit said, “This march will be very similar to the previous two marches. The difference is the agenda.” Nine villages in Nashik have been shortlisted for the first day. These include Dindori, Ozar, Pimpalgaon, Niphad, Vinchur, Lasalgaon, Yevala and Nagarshi.
