Horticulture, a major poll plank in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh

The second phase of Assembly elections for Himachal Pradesh assembly is witnessing the two major political parties laying stress on wooing voters associated with the apple industry.

By Hemant Chauhan

Shimla, Dec.18 : The second phase of Assembly elections for Himachal Pradesh assembly is witnessing the two major political parties laying stress on wooing voters associated with the apple industry.

The candidates in the fray are promising to promote the horticultural prospects of Himachal Pradesh.

Political parties have begun appreciating the orchard owners and apple growers' contribution to the State, considering their vast potential to influence the poll results.

Candidates of the two main political parties-the ruling Congress Party and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-- have reminded the orchard owners and apple growers about care taken by them.

Campaigning for the assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh has been brisk.

Congress party is busy wooing the apple belt by citing figures in terms of development under their rule. The Bharatiya Janata Party is explaining the fruit growers that the lab to land transfer of know-how was completely eclipsed during the Congress reign.

BJP has contended that over the past five years the farmers and horticulturists were kept in dark.

Vidya Stokes, backed by the ruling Congress and a family legacy in Kumarsen, is all set to give her rivals a tough fight. Daughter-in-law of Satyanand Stokes, popularly known as the Father of Apples in the State, she has rubbished BJP's propaganda stating that stagnation had set in during Congress rule.

She has claimed before her voters that the Congress government has been providing support prizes and marketing facility for apple growers.

"They say that horticulture is being ignored, that's not true. The thing is that be it support prices or finances they (farmers) are getting it all in time. Under horticulture, they can get plenty of money for the benefit of horticulture, for plantation programme, for other development activities and everything," said Vidya Stokes, the Congress candidate from Kumarsen.

Bhagat Ram, BJP's candidate from Kotgarh-Kumarsen Valley, is relying on door-to-door campaigning and informing probable voters about rival party's shortcomings.

"During the previous BJP government, a lot was done to improve growers' condition. We want to take it forward with the female representative of the region. Congress party's Vidya Stokes, did nothing in this context and we will complete this work," said Bhagat Ram, a BJP candidate.

Horticulture growers, especially the apple producers, play an important role in the state Assembly elections. There are 46,04,443 (over 4.6 million) total voters in the State, of which over 1.5 million voters are from the horticulture sector.

Farmers, however, are worried with the mushrooming of the private sector investors. The general fear is that the presence of the corporate giants will have an adverse affect on the horticulture sector in the State.

"The market intervention scheme was done by the government. They are also pulling out of that and slowly but steadily handing over market to the private entrepreneurs. Business giants Reliance and Ambanis have arrived in the market. Other giants are also intruding,"t will have an adverse impact on horticulture products. The Government is not spending even an iota of refund," said Tikender Pawar, President of Kisan Sabha Himachal Pradesh.

"The horticulture produce is not there in the crop insurance scheme. So, we also remind that crop insurance should be taken further to the horticulture product as well," Pawar added.

Majority of the voters are horticulture producers in the 20 Assembly constituencies of Shimla, Mandi, Kullu, Chamba, Kangra and Sirmour Districts, of which 90 percent people in these horticulture production areas are apple producers.

ANI