Lok Sabha Election 2019: Yavatmal gets a widow contestant

A constituency that shot into the limelight for distress suicides by agriculturists will have a farm widow in the fray in the Lok Sabha elections.

The Prahar Janshakti Party led by MLA Omprakash (Bacchu) Kadu has announced the candidature of Vaishali Yede from the Yavatmal- Washim seat.

The constituency in Vidarbha has incumbent Shiv Sena MP Bhavana Gawli facing off against former state Congress chief Manikrao Thakre.

Yede, a resident of Kalamb taluka in Yavatmal, had inaugurated the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan (Marathi literaty meet) at Yavatmal in January, where she had spoken about the plight of farmers. Her husband, a dry-land farmer, had committed suicide seven years ago.

"This is a farmer suicide affected district. The condition of farmers is bad but unfortunately, the politics in this country moves around issues like the Pulwama attacks and the border clashes instead of those centered around farmers," said Kadu, who is a three-term MLA from Acchalpur in Amravati.

He added that they had announced Yede's candidature "as a tribute to the farmers who have committed suicide," and stated that they wanted to bring about a change in politics centred around dynasty, caste and religion.

Kadu is also planning to contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Jalna constituency against the BJP's state unit chief Raosaheb Danve Patil.