Demonetisation noise drowns farmers' issues in UP politicking

Both SP-Congress alliance and BSP harp on note ban to take on BJP; sugarcane issues hardly touched

Agriculture and allied sectors account for roughly 25 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in Uttar Pradesh and sustain direct and indirect livelihood of almost 70 per cent of the population.

Nonetheless, issues of agriculture, farm and farmers have taken a backseat in political campaigning by major political parties with topics revolving around demonetisation, minorities and law and order taking centre-stage in run up to the coming UP polls.

The ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) led by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has been at the forefront in attacking the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre