All eyes on ‘triumphant’ farmer unions ahead of Punjab polls
BKU faction head Balbir Rajewal, a key Samyukt Kisan Morcha leader, says their organisation will support a party in the Punjab assembly polls
With the farmer unions emerging triumphant against the central government’s three contentious agriculture laws and their morale at an all-time high, it remains to be seen which political parties they will extend their support to in the run-up to the Punjab assembly elections.
But interestingly, it will not be a single party as different unions have divergent political views even as they put up a united face during the year-long agitation against the farm laws.
Bhartiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) faction president Balbir Singh Rajewal, who emerged as a key leader of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), said on Sunday that their organisation will support a party in the polls. “We have supported different parties during the elections in the past. We will take a decision as whom to lend support once the polls are declared,” he said.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is learnt to be in touch with Rajewal and has offered him a key position in the government if the party comes to power in the state.
Rajewal, however, denied of such offer from the AAP which is also believed to have reached out to the leaders of other farmer unions. The Majha-based BKU (Qadian) is expected to go with the faction led by Rajewal who in the past has supported the Akalis and the Congress.
On the other hand, BKU (Lakhowal) head Ajmer Singh Lakhowal is close to the Badals-led Shiromani Akali Dal. He remained chairman of the state agricultural development board from 2007 to 2017 when the Akali Dal was in power.
His son Harinder Lakhowal, who is general secretary of the organisation and also took active part in the farm agitation, said the SKM constituents can support any party of their choice.
Jagjit Singh Dalewal-led BKU (Sidhupur), which has a stronghold in Bathinda district, is with the Lakhowal faction.
BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) head Joginder Singh Ugrahan has asked members of the faction to support political parties or candidates of their choice in the upcoming polls. The left-leaning organisation has the largest support base in the state, particularly in the Malwa belt.
BKU (Dakounda), which claims itself to be politically neutral, is not supporting any party. Union general secretary Jagmohan Singh said attempts were being made to bring different farm bodies on a common platform and contest the polls as independent candidates.
BKU (Haryana) chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni has already been advocating for the farm bodies to take plunge in the polls in Punjab and has also toured the state to gather feedback on the ground.
Channi to meet farm leaders on Dec 17
Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi has invited representatives of farmer unions for a meeting on December 17. In the meeting, discussion is likely to be held on complete farm loan waiver.
In a meeting with farmers a fortnight back, the CM had promised to come up with a proposal and later wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to jointly work out a formula for debt waiver.
