The 4th State Conference of the Andhra Pradesh Tenant Farmers’ Association (APTFA), which is affiliated to the AIKS, was held from 25 to 28 April 2026 at Uyyuru in Krishna district. On this occasion, a three-day agricultural exhibition was organized. The exhibition was inaugurated by the Special Chief Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Sri Budithi Rajasekhar. Various organizations—along with the Departments of Horticulture, Agriculture, and Fisheries—set up stalls at the exhibition to showcase their products, which included fertilizers, seeds, farm machinery, and livestock. Hundreds of farmers, tenant farmers, and members of the general public visited the exhibition, expressing their satisfaction and delight.

On the evening of 26 April, thousands of tenant farmers, citizens, and activists from various mass organizations staged a magnificent procession, marching from the Uyyuru Bus Stand to the venue of the public meeting. The procession was a captivating spectacle, featuring colourful costumes, Teen Maar troupes, and women’s Kolatam dance groups. All of them captivated the audience with their artistic performances.

During the public meeting, AIKS National President Dr Ashok Dhawale delivered the keynote address. He observed that while the entire farming community is facing financial losses, tenant farmers are subjected to additional forms of exploitation on top of their economic hardships. They demand that the government issue identity cards to tenant farmers through Gram Sabhas—bypassing the requirement for the landowner’s signature—and provide them with crop loans and compensation in accordance with the ‘Scale of Finance.’ He warned that India’s agricultural sector is spiralling into a severe crisis due to the anti-farmer and pro-corporate policies being pursued by the Modi government. He cautioned that the FTAs that India is entering into with the United States, the European Union, and New Zealand, pose a grave threat to the country’s agricultural sector.

Sri Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao, former State Minister, former MP, and Andhra State Convenor of the SKM, urged the government to make sincere efforts to support and uplift tenant farmers. He called for proactive measures—including organizing Gram Sabhas and issuing public notices—to facilitate the issuance of tenant identity cards by landowners. He asserted that the ongoing process of forcible land acquisition in Andhra Pradesh serves the interests of large-scale investors while proving detrimental to farmers.

M Haribabu, State General Secretary of the APFTA, highlighted the struggles undertaken and the victories achieved by the association in the state. He further declared that the association would continue to wage a relentless struggle against all issues affecting tenant farmers, and appealed to all tenant farmers to unite and join this cause.

Other speakers in the meeting included K Prabhakar Reddy (State General Secretary, AIKS), Y Radhakrishna (State President, APTFA), Dr K. Chandrasekhara Rao (President, Reception Committee), and district-level leaders such as P Rangarao, K Siva Nagendra, Lakshmi Sailaja, and T V Lakshmana Swamy, among others.

A total of 189 delegates from 21 districts attended the delegate session held on 27 and 28 April. Two commissions were constituted to deliberate on grassroots-level leadership and the danger of communalism; all delegates participated and shared their valuable insights. Delegates from various districts took part in the discussion, reporting on the struggles undertaken, the results achieved, and offering their opinions and suggestions. They conveyed that struggles waged primarily over local issues contributed significantly to the growth of the movement, and that sustaining these movements until the issues were resolved proved to be a valuable learning experience that facilitated the organization’s expansion.

Delegates urged the organization to undertake concerted efforts in the coming times to mobilize youth and women on a large scale. State-level leaders representing various organizations—including CITU, AIAWU, TWAI, TSSID, DYFI, BSNL employees, and Praja Natya Mandali—delivered messages of solidarity. Following the discussion, the report was unanimously adopted. The conference also approved the credentials report.

Speaking after the discussion, V Srinivasa Rao, State Vice President of the APTFA, observed that the organization had grown stronger compared to the previous conference. He urged delegates to take all necessary measures to further strengthen the organization in the future, to intensify struggles, and to work closely with tenant farmers, calling upon the delegates to pledge themselves to this cause.

Finally, the conference elected a new State Committee, and 11 Office Bearers were unanimously elected, with B Balaram as the new President, M Haribabu as the Secretary, and Y Radhakrishna as the Treasurer. The Reception Committee was thanked for successfully organizing the conference.