The New Indian Express ·
TN farmers field common candidate to press Cauvery water, toddy ban demands in Dharapuram bypoll
TIRUPPUR: Farmer leader C Nallasamy, who played a key role in fielding over 1,000 farmers as candidates in the Modakurichi constituency during the 1996 Assembly, has fielded a candidate in Dharapuram to push their decade-old demand regarding the Cauvery issue. He has announced a common candidate, P Muthusamy, on behalf of farmers in the Dharapuram bypoll to draw the state government's attention on the Cauvery issue and seeking to remove the ban on toddy. The upcoming bypoll for the seat will now be a six-way contest.
Parties including the DMK, AIADMK, TVK, NTK and the CPI have already announced they will field candidates in Dharapuram. In this backdrop, Nallasamy and a few farmers' associations on Monday announced a common candidate, P Muthusamy (55) of Dharapuram, on their behalf.
Speaking to TNIE, Nallasamy, who is also secretary of the Federation of Tamil Nadu All Farmers' Association, said, "The verdict we have secured in the Cauvery issue is of no use whatsoever. A prime example of this is that Kuruvai cultivation has been going well in Karnataka this year and not so in TN. Cauvery is our lifeline. Even though we have secured verdicts, we are still fighting with Karnataka for water."
