Highlights
- Punjab’s agricultural organizations are preparing to enter the assembly elections
- Jalandhar Potato Growers Association has also contacted BKU leaders
- Farmer organizations can pose a challenge to established political parties
- Farmers organizations claim, people of the state are tired of traditional parties
To effectively raise the problems of the farmers of Punjab, the farmers’ organization can enter the field of the next assembly elections. For this, an attempt has been made to form a party by merging all the agricultural producer groups. The farmers have also approached the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), which is spearheading the movement against agricultural laws, to implement this campaign. If this organization enters the electoral fray, then it can become difficult for the established political parties in the politics of the state.
Jalandhar Potato Growers Association general secretary Jaswinder Singh Sangha said that discussions are going on for a long time between the agriculture groups to have a party of farmers and contest the upcoming assembly elections. Efforts are being made to get good representatives of other classes and professions to bring about a qualitative change in the politics of Punjab. He said that efforts were also being made to include Mission Punjab started by BKU leader Gurnam Singh Chadhuni so that a strong force could be created.
People’s disillusionment with political parties
Jaswinder Singh said that we are talking to those unions, which are part of the United Kisan Morcha (SKM), other agricultural groups and trade unions. He said that people are disenchanted with the already established political parties and there is a strong undercurrent for qualitative change. Sangha said the general perception among farm groups and farmers is that farmers should expand their platform. Instead of forming an alliance with any existing political party, one should contest elections on their own.
Electoral maths will change
Agricultural organizations believe that the farmers’ agitation against the agriculture law has already raised the political temperature in the state. In such a situation, if farm groups jump into the electoral fray by creating a common platform, it will further complicate the situation and all electoral math will change. This can affect the performance of parties like Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and AAP. The BJP is already limited to urban areas, with few exceptions. The Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal have been mainly influential in the politics of Punjab.
Decreasing interest of people from established parties
Change is visible in the politics of Punjab in the last few days. Shiromani Akali Dal had been with the BJP till the last elections. At the same time, he has also forged an alliance with Jan Sangh and BSP. Due to the declining interest from political parties in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, people’s tendency was towards the new party Aam Aadmi Party. However, in the 2017 assembly elections, AAP could get only 20 seats. Its vote share had also declined.
However, the party is expected to strengthen after the Congress crisis. Farmer organizations claim that AAP wants to make a deal with them in the state, but most of the agricultural groups do not want an alliance with any party. In such a situation, if he freely jumps into the electoral fray, then the contest can be fierce.
Efforts have been started to increase the intervention of farmer organizations in Punjab politics.
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