Former state general secretary of BJP, Rampal held his move to be in consideration of farmer welfare
Weeks after holding a joint press conference with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), patron of Kisan Mahapanchayat Rampal Jat officially joined the party on Wednesday.
Former state general secretary of BJP, Rampal said his move was aimed at welfare of farmers.
“BJP government has failed to keep promises it made to farmers and it was as early in August 2014, that we went on agitation on the demands under banner of Kisan Mahapanchayat,” Rampal said.
He expressed confidence that AAP will keep its promises made to farmers in the election manifesto. AAP national president Arvind Kejriwal welcomed Rampal saying that his association will strengthen the party’s struggle for safeguarding farmers’ interest.
Once considered to be close to chief minister Vasundhara Raje, Rampal Jat had spearhead several farmer movements in Rajasthan over the past years. He has also attempted to bring on leaders of Gurjar agitation and Patel agitation on a common platform. Over the past few months, Jat had come close to AAP.
“He is a leader dedicated to welfare of farmers and has guided us on issues related to farmers in drafting our election manifesto,” state president of AAP, Deepak Bajpai said at briefing media on the event.
It has been after a long deliberation that Rampal joined AAP. He earlier had planned to field candidates and contest himself under banner of the Kisan Mahapanchayat. However, Kisan Mahapanchayat clarified that will continue to function as a non-political organisation.
Meanwhile, the Kisan Mahapanchayat has alleged that in absence of government purchase at minimum support price, farmers who have sown bajra, corn and other crops are forced to sell their produce at lower price.
After a meeting of the farmer’s body in Jaipur on Wednesday, Rampal Jat warned of agitation on the issue.
He said that if the government does not open up purchase, he will stage an indefinite huger strike in Jaipur from October 23.
AAP An Alternative
Jat who has been demanding implementation of Swaminathan Commission and Farmers’ Security Act said people of the state “want to get rid of BJP and the Congress and the AAP was a strong alternative”.
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