Whose Bhatta will it be?

The opposition parties have been sweating it out in the twin villages of Bhatta and Parsaul in Greater Noida and elsewhere in Uttar Pradesh, ever since violent clashes broke out in early May, 2011.

The opposition parties have been sweating it out in the twin villages of Bhatta and Parsaul in Greater Noida and elsewhere in Uttar Pradesh, ever since violent clashes broke out in early May, 2011.

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They are hoping that the land acquisition issue and atrocities against farmers will help the politics and high drama translate into electoral success during the forthcoming assembly elections in 2012.

Rahul Gandhi has already set his eyes on the polls to help his party regain power in UP. He is credited with reviving his party by securing 22 of the 80 seats in UP during the Parliamentary elections in 2009. The BJP and Samajwadi Party have also been active in reaching out to farmers all this while.

While BSP and the opposition parties have been engaged in a war of words, the question remains: Will the farmers' issue be a major issue during the polls? And does the opposition actually stand to benefit by siding with the poor and oppressed farming community?

Dr Roopesh Verma of Bhoomi Adhigrahan Pratirodh Andolan said, “Bhatta will have a huge impact on the assembly elections. The heat will be felt more in Gautam Buddha Nagar district. It will affect the BSP vote bank. The effect may well be far reaching as land acquisition policies impact farmers in the entire state.”

Rakesh Tikait, son of legendry farmer leader Mahendra Singh Tikait, said, “After a long time, we will see the farmers' plight turning into a major issue during the polls. This time around, the farming community will play a vital role in the formation of a new government.”

Naresh Sirohi of Bhartiya Kisan Morcha said farmers' issues had already assumed political and electoral colours. "BSP will have to pay heavily in the elections," he said.

So far Congress has been the most proactive outfit to cash in on the farmers' sentiments with its leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Digvijay Singh and Sachin Pilot standing up for the farmers and getting arrested.

But the recent past does not inspire much confidence. The year gone by did not bring much success for Rahul despite his campaigning during the assembly polls in Bihar. The Tamil Nadu polls had a similar outcome. Digvijay Singh, in-charge of party affairs in UP, says there is a distinct difference between Bihar and UP.

Samajwadi Party leader Mohan Singh says that the battle in UP is between his party and the BSP.