Shamli (Uttar Pradesh): Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on Saturday rejected Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav's offer to contest elections. Tikait said that he does not need to contest elections.
However, he said that he will oppose the government on the issues of high electricity tariffs in Uttar Pradesh and delay in payment to sugarcane farmers in the state.
As for the issues of future protests, he said that crops are not being procured at the maximum support price (MSP) and Uttar Pradesh having one of the highest electricity tariffs in the country will be among the major questions they will pose to the government.
"We will also ensure that the State Government implements all the agreements on which we have decided with the Government of India. The government is not giving the payment to sugarcane farmers on time. Government is the guarantor of the mills so it becomes the responsibility of the government to pressurize the mills to make the payments," said Tikait.