Over 250 turmeric farmers from Nizamabad file nominations in Telangana

Out of 795 nominations received for the Lok Sabha elections in the state for 17 constituencies, 570 candidates have filed their nominations on the last day of filing of nominations, ie Monday alone and in which 245 nominations filed by Turmeric farmers from Nizamabad Lok Sabha seat, where sitting MP and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter, Kalvakuntla Kavitha is re-contesting.

Kavitha, who failed to get Turmeric board in her constituency Nizamabad, despite several letters submitted to the concerned Union Minister and even Prime Minister on several occasions, had earlier asked 1,000 turmeric farmers to file nomination also from Varanasi and Amethi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi so that they can feel the pinch of agrarian distress in the country.

In an interview with a leading English newspaper earlier, Kavitha said that on her five-year term as MP, said she had set a manifesto for herself which included four goals.

Barring the setting up of turmeric board in Nizamabad where the crop was grown extensively, she said she achieved the other three goals of completing Nizamabad - Peddapalli railway line, giving potable drinking water at the doorsteps and doubling the ayacut of crop.

She said she had failed to convince the BJP-led NDA government to concede the turmeric board though the crop required special attention as it was labour intensive from sowing till harvest.

It was on her insistence that the TRS leadership appointed her on the Parliamentary committee on commerce to pursue separate board for turmeric. Congress president Rahul Gandhi recognised the need for board but the BJP never responded to the demand, she said in her interview.