JAIPUR: Believe it or not, but the ruling BJP with 160 members in the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly had to give in to the demands by a party, CPM , which didn’t have a single MLA.Last September, CPM’s farmer wing All India Kisan Sabha led an agitation demanding loan waivers, better MSP and immediate implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations. Thousands of protesting peasants lay seize in Sikar, bringing the state machinery to a standstill in the entire Shekhawati region.Sikar is the second largest producer of onions in the country. The predominantly Jat-dominated district is home to former Rajasthan chief minister and vice-president of the country Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.As the agitations gained momentum and created ripples across the state, the Vasundhara Raje government signed a pact with farmers, led by former CPM legislator Amra Ram, agreeing to their demands after 13 days. It was a major victory for CPM that has a considerable base in Sikar since 1980 but has never won more than three seats in the Assembly.It was a major embarrassment for Congress , too, as the party, with a presence across the state, had failed to mobilise people. While the state’s main opposition party kept dilly-dallying, CPM led the charge and forced the government to give in to farmers’ demands.No wonder this time, Sikar is set to witness a triangular contest on six of the eight assembly constituencies. Congress has two seats, one is with an Independent, while the rests are with BJP. Although CPM had contested all the eight seats, but could come as second in only Dhod in 2013. This time, the three parties — BJP, Congress and CPM — repeated most of their candidates in Sikar.As per the 2011 Census, Sikar has a literacy rate of more than 75%. Unemployment is a major issue in the district, which sends a large number of people to Armed Forces. Like most Rajasthan districts, Sikar, too, faces lack of industrial development.Farming, too, is not a lucrative proposition due to water scarcity. Groundwater availability is a cause of concern as well. Like Churu and Jhunjhunu, people in Sikar have been waiting for Yamuna water — for which a pact has been signed between neighbouring states in 1994.Elected representatives from the district have been ministers at the Centre as well as in the state under both Congress and BJP governments. However, that hasn’t come to the rescue of the people, facing joblessness and water crisis.

Stay updated with all the Latest Jaipur headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.