The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), the collective leadership that spearheaded the farmers’ movement, on Thursday announced it would campaign against the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The reason is the failure of the Narendra Modi government to deliver on any of the assurances given in its letter of December 9, 2021, on the basis of which the yearlong agitation of the farmers had been suspended.

The Morcha’s campaign will focus on Uttar Pradesh but a similar effort will also be carried out in Uttarakhand, from where farmers had participated in the agitation, especially from the Terai region.

In Punjab, which too is going to the polls, farmer unions have a tradition of not taking sides as their individual constitutions forbid it. “But even there, we will ask questions to all the parties who come to us for votes,’’ said SKM leader Darshan Pal of the Krantikari Kisan Union.

There will be considerable focus on western Uttar Pradesh, which accounts for 130 seats in the Assembly and where the SP-RLD alliance is said to be finding traction, partly because of the farmers’ movement and the Jat disenchantment with the BJP. According to an SKM leader, the farmers have already started keeping vigil amid reports of efforts to distribute money among the voters.

Campaigning in Bulandshahr on Thursday, Union home minister Amit Shah felt compelled to refer to the SP-RLD alliance. “I want to ask (RLD leader) Jayant Chaudhary how a leader who doesn’t listen to his uncle or father would listen to him,” Shah said, referring to Akhilesh Yadav and the earlier family feud in the Samajwadi Party.

Shah’s speech is being viewed as oblique confirmation that he had tried but failed to persuade the RLD chief to tie up with the BJP.

Announcing the farmers’ plans at a media conference here, Yogendra Yadav of the Jai Kisan Andolan said the farmers had been forced to resort to canvassing against the BJP because defeat at the hustings was the only language the party understood.

As during the last Assembly elections, this time, too, the SKM will refrain from canvassing for any particular party. “It is not our job to seek votes for any party. We are only interested in punishing the BJP,” an SKM leader said.

While the SKM had announced “Mission UP and Uttarakhand” last year, it was kept on hold when the Morcha decided to suspend the agitation.

However, now that nearly two months have passed since the government gave written assurances on the farmers’ demands, the SKM has decided to go ahead with its plans in the face of the government’s “betrayal”.

The final decision, according to Hannan Mollah of the All India Kisan Sabha — an SKM constituent — was taken on Tuesday by the 57 members of the Morcha based in Uttar Pradesh.