Kannauj's 'Attar' Makers, Potato Farmers Pin Hopes on Lok Sabha Polls

Kannauj voters, renowned for their attar and potatoes, hope candidates address their concerns. Attar manufacturers seek relief from GST and subsidies for setting up units. Potato growers demand a potato-based industry to reduce crop wastage. Both sectors express disappointment with lack of development and unfulfilled promises. Candidates Akhilesh Yadav and Subrat Pathak are vying for the seat, with the BJP emphasizing its support for the attar industry. The constituency has a diverse electorate, including Muslims, Brahmins, Yadavs, and Dalits.

As Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and BJP's Subrat Pathak lock horns in this high-profile seat, Kannauj's famous 'attar' manufacturers and potato growers hope their concerns will not go unheard in the political battle.

After filing his nomination for the May 13 polls, Yadav promised to spread Kannauj's fragrance. During their rallies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah mentioned the importance given by the BJP to 'attar' by gifting it to G20 guests last year.

With campaigning at its peak and allegations and counter-allegations flying thick and fast, attar manufacturers of Bada Bazar want them to be heard.

Perfume trader Sushil Kumar Jain said that during the SP's rule, ingredients gulkand and gulab jal were made tax free.

''This provided a lot of relief to the traders. The BJP government has imposed tax on it. The government should give relief in GST, which is 18 per cent on essential oils so that small traders can move ahead. The government should also give subsidy for setting up perfume units so that small traders get benefit. Shops should be allotted to small traders in the perfume park,'' he said.

The issue of delay in the perfume park taking shape is being raised by Akhilesh himself. The park was proposed during the SP regime here in 2015. Perfumers Association president Pawan Trivedi said the first phase of the park is ready and 15 shops have been allotted.

''The Rs 40-crore Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre (FFDC) laboratory is also ready and packaging institute work is on,'' he said, adding gas pipeline work has been started to end use of hydro-distillation to extract scent from flowers using wood and cow dung cakes.

Lalit Maurya, another attar manufacturer, said the constituency has not witnessed any development in the past five years due to which people are angry.

Potato growers of the city want a potato-based industry, which was promised by political parties earlier but did not see light of the day, so that their crops do not go waste.

Vinay Dubey of Udaitapur village said Kannuaj produces maximum potatoes in the state.

''In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised a potato-based industry here but even after five years nothing has happened. We are disappointed,'' he said.

Ahmad Ali, a farmer from Saiyadpur village, said there are 200 cold storages in the city but there were times when they had to throw potatoes with bumper crop.

Aditya Katiyar of Gukhru said the government should do something to ensure that they get due rates of their produce.

Radhey Shyam Dohre of Narainpurwa says if potato chips or starch factories are set up here, farmers would benefit.

Besides, Yadav and Pathak, BSP's Imran Bin Jafar is also in the fray in the polls.

Kannauj has five assembly segments - Chhibramau, Tirwa and Kannauj are in Kannauj while Bidhuna and Rasoolabad are in Auraya and Kanpur dehat districts respectively.

Except for Bidhuna, where the SP emerged victorious, the BJP won four seats from here.

Akhilesh made his political debut from the seat in 2000 byelection after which he held the seat in 2004, 2009. His wife Dimple won the seat in 2012 byelection unopposed after Akhilesh left the seat after becoming the chief minister. She retained the seat in 2014, but lot to Pathak in 2019.

Socialist Ram Manohar Lohia won the seat for the first time in 1967. The constituency has about 19 lakh voters including about 3 lakh Muslims, 2.5 lakh Brahmins and Yadavs, and over 4 lakh Dalits.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)