The 23rd State Conference of the Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham (AIKS) was successfully held in Eluru from 3-5 July 2026. On 3 July, a massive rally was led by Vijoo Krishnan, T. Sagar, K. Prabhakar Reddy, V. Krishnaiah, Y. Keshavarao, M. Suryanarayana, P. Hemalatha, G. Ramakrishna, Jonna Sivashankar, K. Srinivas, B. Balaram, and others. The public meeting held in the Indoor Stadium ground was addressed by AIKS General Secretary Vijoo Krishnan, AIKS Joint Secretary T. Sagar, AIKS State President and Secretary V. Krishnaiah and K. Prabhakar Reddy, state leaders Y. Keshavarao, B. Balaram, Manthena Seetaram, K. Srinivas, and CITU Eluru District President and Secretary Lingaraju, DVD Prasad, and others.

On 4 July morning, the flag was hoisted by senior leader Y. Keshavarao. On the occasion of the 129th birth anniversary of freedom fighter and tribal revolutionary Alluri Sitarama Raju, floral tributes were paid by all to his portrait. Sri Gopi Murthy, Chairman of the Reception Committee and MLC (Teacher’s constituency) of the united Godavari districts, delivered the welcome address. T. Sagar delivered the inaugural address. Leaders of several fraternal organisations conveyed their solidarity greetings.

A total of 351 delegates, including 49 women, from 26 districts attended the three-day State Conference. Efforts were made to have 60 women delegates, out of which 49 women farmers participated as delegates. State Secretary Prabhakar Reddy presented the report covering the struggles, agitations, experiences of the past four years, and the position of the organisation. 52 delegates participated in the discussion and shared their experiences.

Struggles were waged against forced land acquisition in the state, and for support prices for crops like tobacco, turmeric, mango, cocoa, cashew, paddy, cotton, onion, maize, banana, and papaya. In response to some crop price issues, the government had to intervene and procure mangoes at Rs. 4.00 per kg, onions at Rs. 12.00 per kg, burley tobacco at Rs. 6.00 per kg under the Market Intervention Scheme, and also purchase sorghum and paddy. Large-scale agitations were organised demanding compensation for farmers whose crops were damaged by drought in 2022-23, and for those affected by unseasonal rains and severe floods in the Budameru and Krishna rivers in September 2024.

In the movement against forced land acquisition, 19 police cases were filed against M. Appalaraju, State General Secretary of Anakapalli Farmers’ Union. To intimidate farmers and obstruct the movement, the government illegally invoked the Preventive Detention (PD) Act against Appalaraju and detained him in jail for 45 days. Under pressure from farmers, people, and intellectuals, the government later unconditionally released Appalaraju.

Delegates also participated in discussions in seven special commissions formed on strengthening village and mandal committees, local struggles, irrigation issues, mobilising youth and women farmers, forced land acquisition, implementation of support prices for agricultural produce, and the quality and development of the monthly magazine “Rythu Vaani”.

The conference unanimously passed these resolutions: Scrapping the new fertiliser distribution system through an app and reverting to the old method of fertiliser distribution; Ensuring remunerative prices for dairy farmers; Waiving farm loans up to Rs 2 lakh by the central and state governments; Implementing free crop insurance for all crops; Withdrawing pro-corporate laws of the central and state governments; Amending the Seed Act to protect farmers’ interests; Stopping forced land acquisition and implementing the 2013 LARR Act; Allocating funds and completing pending irrigation projects in backward areas; Implementing support prices for all crops; Stopping the forcible acquisition of land from farmers for the construction of the capital Amaravati; and Government procurement of mangoes, tobacco, and other produce.

The State Conference resolved to build crop-wise associations, strengthen village and mandal committees, and work to expand the AIKS to every village in the state. It also decided to independently build united movements by bringing together poor farmers, tenant farmers, agricultural labourers and rural working people in every village against forced land acquisition, support price issues, anti-farmer laws, free trade agreements harming agriculture, pro-corporate policies of the central and state governments, and against communal and hate ideologies.

The conference re-elected V. Krishnaiah as President, K. Prabhakar Reddy as General Secretary, Marapu Suryanarayana as Treasurer, along with 8 Vice Presidents, and 9 Joint Secretaries, making a total of 20 State Office Bearers, and a 66-member State Committee.

In his concluding address, AIKS General Secretary Vijoo Krishnan urged the gathering to utilise the opportunities to strengthen the AIKS in the state in the face of anti-farmer policies of the central and state governments, and to make the AIKS a centre for militant struggles. 

The Eluru District AIKS Committee, along with CITU, AIAWU, AIDWA, SFI, DYFI, Teachers’ Union, ASHA Workers’ Union, and many elders and prominent persons formed a Reception Committee that worked for a month to successfully organise the conference. The cultural performances and songs presented by the Praja Natya Mandali artists during the public meeting and the delegate session were captivating and inspiring throughout.