CHANDIGARH/BATHINDA: BJP is contesting Lok Sabha elections on its own in all 13 parliamentary seats in Punjab for the first time, with its candidates facing strong protests from farmers across the state.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ended its alliance with BJP in Sept 2020 over the now-withdrawn contentious agri laws, ridding the saffron party of the unease at playing second fiddle to alliance partner SAD.
To what extent this will help BJP at the hustings is yet to be known. However, prima facie, SAD’s strategy to have no truck with BJP stands vindicated, as the party’s ‘Punjab Bachao Yatra’ is yet to face any opposition from the agrarian community.
With farmers’ ire directed at BJP, many functionaries of the saffron party had to cancel their public events during campaigning as they were denied entry into villages.
A Punjab BJP delegation led by state president Sunil Jakhar approached the state’s chief electoral officer (CEO), Sibin C, on May 6 to raise concerns about the safety of party candidates during campaigning and elections. Following the complaint, the Punjab CEO sought an action-taken report from DGP Gaurav Yadav.
The BJP brass had also expressed its apprehension about what it termed as a possible collusion between the governing Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and other non-BJP parties in organising protests that could potentially vitiate the political process.
The Punjab CEO has urged all farmer unions not to disrupt poll campaigns. He also instructed all deputy commissioners-cumdistrict election officers, commissioners of police, and senior superintendents of police to ensure security and a level-playing field for all candidates.
BJP candidates who have faced maximum protests so far include Hans Raj Hans (Faridkot), Preneet Kaur (Patiala), Ravneet Singh Bittu (Patiala), former ambassador to the US Tejinder Singh Sandhu (Amritsar), Sushil Kumar Rinku (Jalandhar), Gurmeet Singh Sodhi (Ferozepur) and former MLA Dinesh Singh Babbu (Gurdaspur).
On Sunday, irate farmers held a protest at Tungwali village in Bathinda district against BJP candidate Parampal Kaur Sidhu. Protests were also held at several other places, including Bihlewala village in Faridkot district, Malout under Ferozepur parliamen tary constituency, and near Banur in Patiala constituency on Saturday.
At Bihlewala village, farmers from Kirti Kisan Union held a protest and prevented Faridkot BJP district president Gaurav Kaakkar from campaigning for party candidate Hans Raj Hans.
Later, police took Kirti Kisan Union state general secretary Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala into custody, along with activists Naunihal Singh and Gurmeet Singh Sangrahoor. They were sent to Faridkot jail.
Following these arrests, farmer unions held a protest outside Sadiq police station. Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has also called for a bigger protest at Sadiq, in Faridkot, on Wednesday. SKM functionaries are furious over the arrest of BKU Ekta Dakaunda (Dhaner) state general secretary Harnek Singh Mehma on May 10 for opposing BJP candidate Rana Gurmeet Sodhi in Ferozepur.
Bittu, who recently switched to BJP from Congress, too, is facing protests. He has urged village panchayats within his constituency to allow him to campaign. “It pains me to see that some farmers are not allowing me and the other BJP leaders to enter the villages,” he said as he reminded the farming community of his unwavering support for their cause for the last four years.
Last week, BJP candidate Sushil Rinku claimed those protesting against his party’s candidates in Punjab were not real farmers but “Sarkari” farmers — meaning, the protests were being held in collusion with the AAP-led state govt. On April 25, at Nakodar, he had termed the protesting farmers “gundas” and “anti-Dalit”.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ended its alliance with BJP in Sept 2020 over the now-withdrawn contentious agri laws, ridding the saffron party of the unease at playing second fiddle to alliance partner SAD.
To what extent this will help BJP at the hustings is yet to be known. However, prima facie, SAD’s strategy to have no truck with BJP stands vindicated, as the party’s ‘Punjab Bachao Yatra’ is yet to face any opposition from the agrarian community.
With farmers’ ire directed at BJP, many functionaries of the saffron party had to cancel their public events during campaigning as they were denied entry into villages.
A Punjab BJP delegation led by state president Sunil Jakhar approached the state’s chief electoral officer (CEO), Sibin C, on May 6 to raise concerns about the safety of party candidates during campaigning and elections. Following the complaint, the Punjab CEO sought an action-taken report from DGP Gaurav Yadav.
The BJP brass had also expressed its apprehension about what it termed as a possible collusion between the governing Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and other non-BJP parties in organising protests that could potentially vitiate the political process.
The Punjab CEO has urged all farmer unions not to disrupt poll campaigns. He also instructed all deputy commissioners-cumdistrict election officers, commissioners of police, and senior superintendents of police to ensure security and a level-playing field for all candidates.
BJP candidates who have faced maximum protests so far include Hans Raj Hans (Faridkot), Preneet Kaur (Patiala), Ravneet Singh Bittu (Patiala), former ambassador to the US Tejinder Singh Sandhu (Amritsar), Sushil Kumar Rinku (Jalandhar), Gurmeet Singh Sodhi (Ferozepur) and former MLA Dinesh Singh Babbu (Gurdaspur).
On Sunday, irate farmers held a protest at Tungwali village in Bathinda district against BJP candidate Parampal Kaur Sidhu. Protests were also held at several other places, including Bihlewala village in Faridkot district, Malout under Ferozepur parliamen tary constituency, and near Banur in Patiala constituency on Saturday.
At Bihlewala village, farmers from Kirti Kisan Union held a protest and prevented Faridkot BJP district president Gaurav Kaakkar from campaigning for party candidate Hans Raj Hans.
Later, police took Kirti Kisan Union state general secretary Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala into custody, along with activists Naunihal Singh and Gurmeet Singh Sangrahoor. They were sent to Faridkot jail.
Following these arrests, farmer unions held a protest outside Sadiq police station. Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has also called for a bigger protest at Sadiq, in Faridkot, on Wednesday. SKM functionaries are furious over the arrest of BKU Ekta Dakaunda (Dhaner) state general secretary Harnek Singh Mehma on May 10 for opposing BJP candidate Rana Gurmeet Sodhi in Ferozepur.
Bittu, who recently switched to BJP from Congress, too, is facing protests. He has urged village panchayats within his constituency to allow him to campaign. “It pains me to see that some farmers are not allowing me and the other BJP leaders to enter the villages,” he said as he reminded the farming community of his unwavering support for their cause for the last four years.
Last week, BJP candidate Sushil Rinku claimed those protesting against his party’s candidates in Punjab were not real farmers but “Sarkari” farmers — meaning, the protests were being held in collusion with the AAP-led state govt. On April 25, at Nakodar, he had termed the protesting farmers “gundas” and “anti-Dalit”.
Source Agencies
