Aam Aadmi Party's Punjab unit president Bhagwant Singh Mann will spearhead the party's efforts to woo the Sikh farmers of the Terai region of Uttarakhand ahead of assembly elections. The party is set to launch a Sankalp Yatra covering the farmer-dominated areas of Uttarakhand in support of farmers' issues.
Mann, the party's Lok Sabha MP and a prominent Sikh face, will be in Uttarakhand for three days from November 15. He will kick-start the AAP's Kisan Sankalp Yatra, which will cover 33 farmer-dominated constituencies in the state. The issues to be highlighted during the yatra include the three contentious farm laws and the demand for adequate compensation for crop loss.
The yatra will start in Uddham Singh Nagar, a district where Sikhs form a sizable part of the population. Around 50 per cent of the farmers in the district belong to the community. The Lakhimpur Kheri incident had resonated in the region, with Sikh farmer leaders declaring that they will force members of their community to boycott the BJP. A large number of farmers from the district have participated in the protests at Delhi's borders against the farm laws.
The AAP, which has voiced support for the farmers' protests, is hoping that Mann, who is a prominent member of the party in Punjab, the epicentre of the agitation, is able to garner support of the Sikh farmers in the Terai region, especially Uddham Singh Nagar. Over 80 per cent of Uttarakhand's Sikh population is concentrated in the district.
Among the nine districts in Uddham Singh Nagar where the Sikh voters can play a decisive role is Khatima, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami's constituency. The BJP has done its bit to pacify the Sikh community by ensuring that Sikhs are appointed to key positions in the state. The governor, the chief secretary and the head of the state minority commission at present are Sikh.
The promises made by the AAP to woo the farming community include free electricity for farmers.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia too will visit the state later next week, according to party sources. They are expected to visit hill districts.
