BKU Dakaunda decides against joining poll wagon in Punjab, won’t support SSM
Will hold a large rally in Punjab’s Barnala town on January 10 against the state government over their pending demands, says BKU’s Dakaunda faction
Citing the organisation’s constitution, the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Dakaunda) on Monday said that it will neither participate in the Punjab assembly elections scheduled early next year nor support any political party, including the newly formed Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM).
The decision was taken after a state-level meeting of leaders of the farmer union in Barnala town. The outfit decided to hold a “large rally” in the town on January 10 against the state government over its demands.
Buta Singh Burjgill, state president of the BKU faction, said, “Though we will not participate in elections, we have decided not to oppose the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha. We have left the decision to the electorate to cast their vote. But we will continue to oppose the Shiromani Akali Dal, BJP, Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress because they have not fulfilled the promises they made in the past.”
They will give an ultimatum to the Congress government in the state over their pending demands by holding a massive rally in Barnala next month, he added.
Union’s state general secretary Jagmohan Singh said they followed their organisation’s constitution not to support any party. “Those part of the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha fought against the corporate sector along with us during the agitation against the Centre’s three farm laws. Therefore, we will not oppose them like other parties,” he added.
The BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan), Punjab’s biggest farmer outfit, has already said that farmer unions should focus on resolving issues of farmers through struggle, rather than hoping to gain anything from electoral politics. The union claimed that it will not support any party, but also has not given any call of poll boycott either.