MYSURU: With elections to the Agriculture Produce Co-operative Committees all set to be notified, the stage is set for another poll battle. The tenure of the previous APMCs had ended in February 28, but the government appointed officers as administrators to oversee their activities.
The government also announced reservations with 11 members to be elected by farmers -- one each from horticulture, traders and from Taluk Agriculture Produce Co-operative Societies. The government can nominate three members to each AMPC who can also exercise voting powers.
Although candidates do not fight on party symbols, their identification with political parties has made the elections intriguing in recent years. Local legislators and party leaders have aggressively campaigned to take control of APMCs, which record turnover in crores and enjoy direct contact with farmers.
In all these years, candidates backed by the Congress and JDS have been elected in a majority of the APMCs across the state. The BJP’s influence has been limited to a few taluks in Shivamogga, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada districts and other pockets.
The BJP had come under fire for amending the AMPC Act and introducing the Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojana with both the Centre and the states transferring money directly to the farmers’ accounts, crop insurance scheme and a hike in loan coverage. Therefore, the BJP is expected to throw in its hat in the contest while Congress and JDS will lock horns in many APMCs in Old Mysuru Region.
Aware that the elections to the APMCs will also be an indication of which way the farming community votes will swing, as about 33 lakh members will exercise their franchise, many local leaders have been knocking on the doors of legislators and co-operatives for their support.
Farmer leader Kurbur Shanthakumar said the election will not be a prestige battle as the government has weakened the APMCs through an amendment and encouraged private players to operate a parallel system. APMC director A M Yogesh said there are 160 APMCs in the state and the elections will be held since the Covid-19 curbs have been relaxed. He said the district deputy commissioners will fix the reservation.