Not withstanding the high-stakes and political prestige involved in the byelections to the Nanjangud and Gundlupet Assembly constituencies, the voters’ expectations are very low.
A larger number — particularly farmers who constitute 90% of the constituency are reeling under drought — perceive it as a meaningless exercise involving hundreds of crores of rupees to redeem perceived loss of personal honour and to settle political scores.
While a majority of the farmers say Gundlupet bypolls became inevitable owing to the death of H.S. Mahadeva Prasad, they say the Nanjangud byelection could have been avoided. The Nanjangud bypoll became necessary after Srinivas Prasad from the Congress resigned on being dropped from the Cabinet, and who is now contesting on BJP ticket.
“Both the constituencies are in the grip of an unprecedented drought. Distress migration has become a way of life in parts of Nanjangud rural and Gundlupet.
Farmers in hundreds have abandoned agriculture and are heading towards cities,” said Kurubur Shanthakumar, president, Sugarcane Cultivators’ Association. None of these issues has been taken up by either of the parties even though the entire Cabinet has pitched its camp in Nanjangud-Gundlupet areas.
Most telling is the finger-pointing and the blame game played out by the two parties over waiver of farm loans.
“The focus is on winning the bypolls which will have no impact on the government as the Assembly elections are slated to be held around this time next year,” said Mr. Shanthakumar.
Attahalli Devaraj, another farmer activist, concurs with this view. “Farmers are receiving notices from financial institutions for non-payment of loans despite the fact that their crops have failed due to drought,” he said. A majority of farmers from Nanjangud-Gundlupet areas felt the same way at a meeting held last week to discuss the severity of the drought.
Migration
In areas around Gundlupet, many farmers who have quit agriculture owing to drought have sought work in the rubber plantations near Kerala and tea plantations in Ooty.
Local observers say Congress and BJP activists are trying to trace the workers to ensure their presence in their villages on voting day.
It is needless to say who will bear the cost of transportation, besides showering them with “perks”.
