Turmeric farmers shine in Low key, lackluster campaign

Curtains have finally come down on the campaign for the forthcoming Loksabha polls for 17 seats in Telangana. Except for the 180 turmeric and red Jowar farmers of Nizamabad district who stood in the fray protesting the indifference of political leaders and the government, the campaign was dull compared to the assembly elections held in December.
 
Prime minister Narendra Modi, BHP chief Amit Shah, AICC chief Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, TRS working president K Taraka Rama Rao led the campaign for their respective parties in Telangana. Hot summer and indifferent voters gave tough time to leaders as even the mighty KCR have to cancel the LB Nagar public meeting due to lack of audience.
 
Federal Front
 
“Caru , Saru Sarkaru” was the war cry given by the ruling TRS, with Car as its symbol fresh from the recent victory in assembly elections. The voters were presented with an offer of securing 16 seats to TRS and one for All India Majlis E Ittehadul Muslimeen so that K Chandrasekhar Rao (sir) could play an important role at the centre. The voters of Telangana were told that KCR will be the Chief Minister as the Federal Plant the brainchild of the Telangana protagonist has the support of more than 100 MPs.
 
Harish Rao missing
 
However, the all-time troubleshooter and KCR’s nephew T Harish Rao, who was kept aside in the campaign, might cost the party dearly in certain pockets. Harish who was irrigation minister in the first cabinet of KCR is powerful in the district with a solid mass base. He was included in the star campaigner list only after certain sections in the party objected to the ill-treatment meted out to a loyalist like Harish. The general belief is that Harish was sacrificed only to pump up the image of KCR’s son KTR.
Farmer’s to teach a lesson
 
Farmers in Nizamabad are doing what the entire opposition in Telangana, the youngest state of the country failed to do. They not only forced the TRS top leaders to rush for a realignment of political forces in the district to save Nizamabad MP candidate K Kavitha daughter of KCR contesting for the second consecutive term.
 
The EC, on the other hand, has to redraw their poll process by accommodating 185 candidates in several EVMs and even change poll timings, especially for Nizamabad.