Turmeric farmers leave for Varanasi to file nominations

A group of 50 turmeric farmers from Armoor, Balkonda and other rural areas of Nizamabad district in Telangana left for Varanasi on Thursday to file nominations as Independent candidates in Varanasi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a re-election to the Lok Sabha.

These farmers took a private bus to Nagpur, from there they will take a train to New Delhi. Some farmers left by train.

Another 50 farmers from Tamil Nadu will join them in Varanasi in the next two days and a total of 100 will file the nominations on April 29.

The farmers raised slogans such as "Jai jawan, jai kisan" and "Hail farmers' unity" before boarding the buses.

"Our fight is for the turmeric board and remunerative prices, which is a 12-year-old demand. We are not politically inclined towards any party," Tirumala Reddy, the district turmeric farmers' association president said.

On April 11, 178 farmers had contested in the Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency, from where Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter K Kavitha is seeking a reelection.

Telangana Turmeric Farmers Association president Kotapati Narsimham Naidu said that the farmers would not campaign against any political party or candidate but only remain in the fray as Independents.

"Contestants will also try to meet the national leaders of all political parties including Prime Minister Modi and BJP president Amit Shah to appraise our demand," Naidu said.