In a dramatic turn of events that could have socio-political ramifications in western Uttar Pradesh, the Tikait faction of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) faced rebellion on Sunday. The disgruntled members formed a new outfit called BKU Airajnaitk (meaning apolitical) in Lucknow, citing a lack of internal democracy and overt politicisation of the farmer organisation.
Ironically, the division happened on a day when the organisation was observing the death anniversary of its founder and perhaps the tallest farmer leader in western U.P., Mahendra Singh Tikait. Rakesh Tikait, spokesperson of the BKU, charged the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) for causing the division.
Though there are multiple factions of BKU, it was the Tikait faction that led the farmer protests against the contentious farm laws in the region. This led to its revival and observers believed that its support played a major role in the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and Samajwadi Party (SP) alliance’s better performance in some districts of the sugarcane belt where the presence of the BKU and the khap was strong. It dealt a blow to the BJP’s Jat leadership in the region.
