Farm voice takes centre stage in Punjab, BJP unlikely to have it easy - Hindustan Times
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Farm voice takes centre stage in Punjab, BJP unlikely to have it easy

ByVishal Joshi
Jan 07, 2022 01:27 AM IST

Farm voices are already planning to consolidate their position, with most carrying a strong resentment against PM Modi’s decision in the farm laws, which had to be finally revoked

Bathinda The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may face an uphill task ahead of the forthcoming Punjab assembly elections as farmer unions have, again, started consolidating against it. Political observers say the anti-BJP voice has, paradoxically, gained centre stage after Wednesday’s events, when a security breach forced Prime Minister Narendra Modi to cancel his Ferozepur visit.

PM Modi’s security breach, under investigation now, put paid to the BJP’s plans to have a grand launch to its campaign in Punjab; the low turnout in Ferozepur also dashed its hopes. (HT FILE )
PM Modi’s security breach, under investigation now, put paid to the BJP’s plans to have a grand launch to its campaign in Punjab; the low turnout in Ferozepur also dashed its hopes. (HT FILE )

This is the first election that the BJP is fighting independently in the state, after its old ally, the Shiromani Akal Dal (SAD), parted ways with it over the farm laws. Modi’s rally was expected to be show of strength, but these hopes were, however, dashed as there was a low turnout at the BJP rally.

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Modi was to launch the BJP’s campaign by formally announcing projects worth over 42,000 crore. He was also expected to announce a special package to win over electors, who have been resentful against the party over the farm laws.

On Thursday, farmer unions came out in support of the BKU (Krantikari) for blocking the cavalcade of Modi and other BJP leaders and not allowing them to reach the rally in Ferozepur city.

Four-time Congress legislator Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, who joined the saffron front less than a month ago, said, “The BJP leadership is not disheartened. By hindering the PM’s movement, the Congress government has been exposed. We will only gain sympathy due to this attitude. The government used anti-social elements and the police to jeopardise an official function to launch a mega health care facility in the border town of Ferozepur.” He added that Wednesday’s events had jeopardised a much-awaited boost to infrastructure works in Ferozepur and elsewhere in the state.

In a video message posted to journalists on Thursday, Surjeet Singh Phul, president, ultra-Left leaning body BKU (Krantikari), said, “A gathering of nearly 1,000 activists blocked the Ferozepur-Moga highway near Piareana village on Wednesday. We did not allow BJP supporters’ buses to pass.”

BJP legislator from Abohar Arun Narang alleged that under state government pressure, police had instigated people to block roads leading to the rally. “The model code of conduct can be invoked anytime, and by not allowing the PM to visit Ferozepur, Punjab may have missed expected welfare announcements. Worried over the BJP’s growing electoral strength, the Congress government has abused state machinery,” said Narang, who had been thrashed by farmer activists at Malout in Muktsar last year.

Political analyst Dr Jagrup Singh Sekhon, state coordinator of Lokniti, a social science research programme of New Delhi-based Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), said, “The BJP has no support base in rural areas and it may continue to face the ire of agrarians. It has traditional acceptance in urban pockets, but it may not be an easy task for it to make major electoral gains in cities. Disruption of the PM’s convoy indicates strong sentiment against the Centre,” said Sekhon, ex-head of political science department, GNDU.

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