Congress vice-presidents Rahul Gandhi seems set to once again take up the issues of farmers especially cane growers of western Uttar Pradesh.
Rahul is likely to lead a `padyatra’ of party workers / leaders in Saharanpur on coming Monday, to drive home the point that both the UP and Union governments were `anti-farmers’. Congress has an edge over other parties on highlighting farmer’s issues and it successfully stalled NDA’s move to make amendment to the land Acquisition Act.
After staging state-wide dharna over farmers’ issues on Wednesday, Congress general secretary Madhusudan Mistri, and UP chief Nirmal Khatri, have thrashed out a plan to woo the farmers of western UP by highlighting their problems.
“To express our solidarity with the struggling farming community, the party has planned to take out a padyatra in Saharanpur on coming Monday. We will be demanding increase of support price for cane along with clearing their dues,” said senior Congress leader.
Party insiders however confirmed that Rahul had given his consent to the programme as Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel have already reviewed the route of the padyatra on Thursday morning. They also said that the route could be changed if the SPG advised on this count after which an official announcement would be made.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders which included office bearers and in-charges of district and city units would meet at Mall Avenue head quarters on Friday, to discuss the 2017 Assembly polls.
Senior leaders Mistri and Khatri are also expected to attend the meet. later senior leaders would head to Noida to hold a similar meeting on Saturday
which will be attended by members of AICC, former ministers, MPs and former MPs, MlAs, MlCs etc from UP.