INTERVIEW | BKU head Naresh Tikait: “We supported BJP in 2014, but it didn’t live up to our expectations.”

Naresh Tikait, a farmer leader, claims that while his Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) publicly backed the BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the party fell short of their expectations once in power.

Tikait said that the saffron party “reeks of dictatorship” and bemoaned the fact that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre refused to recognise the “martyrdom” of almost 750 farmers during a 13-month-long protest at Delhi’s borders in 2020–21.

But according to Tikait, the “Chaudhary” of the powerful Balyan Khap of the Jat community in western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, BKU members are willing to back any party’s nominee in the next Lok Sabha elections.

The BKU took part in the large-scale demonstrations against the Center in 2020–21 over the since-repealed agri-marketing regulations. The BKU is a member of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella organisation of farmers’ unions.

“The Bharatiya Kisan Union is a large organization in which each member is connected to one or more parties in some way. Some have personal links to the candidates, are related to them, or are members of the same community as the candidates. Thus, we have trouble deciding which BKU members to support when making such choices, according to Tikait.

“It is without reservation that we openly backed the BJP in 2014.” I’m not ashamed to say it or reluctant to acknowledge it. However, they fell short of our expectations. They had discussed ‘Ram Raj’. At his family’s house in Sisauli village in the Uttar Pradesh district of Muzaffarnagar, Tikait told PTI, “They might have worked well by their standards, but a lot remained ignored.”

He acknowledged that India is a large nation with many concerns, but said that although some problems cannot be resolved, the government has failed to address many of them, most notably the suffering of the farmers.

Approximately 750 farmers lost their lives during the 13-month-long farmers’ protest, yet the government is still reluctant to admit it. Tikait said, “It was a massive movement that was debated all over the globe.

Regarding how the Center has operated over the last ten years, he said, “The BJP is a dictatorship. This administration exudes despotism. It’s as like when someone says something stubborn, that’s all that gets done. This is not the way a nation operates. There are situations in which both the people and the government must bend. That’s the way it operates.”

“But for them, everything will have to go according to their plan, as if it were set in stone. That isn’t how it works. As a result, both the government and the general populace suffer the consequences. Thus, the government must find a middle ground and foster a positive environment, according to Tikait.

Leader of the farming community and National President of the Bhartiya Kisan Union, Naresh Tikait, said that PM Modi took no accountability for the “BJP-manufactured crisis” in Manipur. Naresh Tikait Lalu, the national president of Bhartiya Kisan Union and a prominent Congress farmer, criticizes Modi for failing to hold BJP officials accountable when they talk about amending the Constitution.
When asked about the Rashtriya Lok Dal’s (RLD) decision to back the BJP in the next elections, he said that the BKU was “regretful” and that the people in the area were “shocked” by the Jayant Chaudhary-led party’s abrupt change of heart.

“Responsible individuals were not consulted on the RLD switching sides. The unexpected choice has startled everyone. On this, I wasn’t consulted. Even if you decide to leave me, there are still important individuals in the area who need to have been consulted. However, this sorrow won’t go away,” Tikait said.

“Not at all,” he said when asked whether the BKU will run against the RLD in the election. What could we possibly say against them? We simply feel bad about what transpired. We do not oppose anybody, and there is no resistance to them (RLD).”

Regarding the impending elections, Tikait said that although the BKU has broad support and is facing several challenges, it is not directing its members’ votes.

But he said that on April 17, a “mahapanchayat” is planned in Sisauli when a “collective decision” about the elections can be made.

“I have no qualms about stating that people are listening to us less during election season, but that is a personal choice. We are unable to make a decision for them. They should not carry the banner of any party, but they should cast their votes wherever they want.

When BKU office bearers accompany a candidate from any party or are seen in their vehicles, it does not look good. Voting for the candidate they want to support should be their response to such actions.

“On April 19, we have an election. When a candidate visits your home, provide a warm greeting. Just try not to go exploring with them. Preserve the honor of the BKU flag. Support the RLD, SP, or BSP, depending on your preference.

We get along well with everyone. This is just my own viewpoint. On April 17, there will be a mahapanchayat here, during which a group decision will be made.

There are a number of contenders, including veterans and well-educated individuals. We’ll hold off on speaking until April 17 and make a choice then,” he said.

Elections in Western Uttar Pradesh are scheduled for April 19 and April 26.

On June 4, the vote-counting process will begin.