Five organisations, working to secure compensation for the victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, have decided to campaign against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government before the upcoming bye-polls in Madhya Pradesh, PTI reported on Friday. Bye-polls are scheduled to be held in Mungaoli and Kolaras constituencies on February 28 followed by state Assembly elections.

The gas leak in the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal on the night of December 2, 1984, killed over 3,500 people, according to state government figures.

The BJP administration has failed to deliver on its promise to ensure adequate compensation for the victims of the gas leak, the organisations alleged. “Our strategy is to present facts on the government’s betrayal of the promises on compensation to the six lakh victims of the disaster,” Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogee Sangharsh Morcha’s leader Balkrishna Namdeo said.

The Mungaoli and Kolaras seats fell vacant after MLAs Mahendra Singh Kalukheda and Ram Singh Yadav died. “We plan to share copies of official documents with the electorate in the two areas to substantiate our allegations of betrayal by the BJP leaders,” Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh President Rashida Bee said.

Satinath Sarangi, of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action, claimed that the groups will not collaborate with any political party and would seek support from the public instead. The groups plan on campaigning against the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections too.