Political parties in Punjab, which were lying low for days following a diktat of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on September 11 against organising mass electoral programmes, have started holding meetings and rallies again in view of the upcoming state assembly elections.
The SKM, an amalgamation of 32 farm organisations leading the protest against the Centre’s three controversial laws, had asked the state’s ruling Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to desist from holding political events till dates for the forthcoming polls are announced to honour the sentiment of the protesting farmers.
However, the SAD and the AAP have organised five large public programmes in different places of the state in the last one week. Unlike previous occasions, the SKM activists did not try to stop the parties from holding political events.
The SAD had taken a lead in mass contact with voters by organising rallies from March 15 under the “Punjab Mangda Jawab” campaign while announcing party candidates from Fazilka’s Jalalabad. Then, party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal launched a 100-day yatra programme ‘Gal Punjab Di’ from Ferozepur’s Zira on August 18 to cover all 117 assembly segments.
But the party had to suspend the yatra events after SKM activists created a ruckus at Sukhbir’s rally in Moga on September 3. The Akali leaders have been at loggerhead with farmer unions over holding political activities since.
{{/usCountry}}But the party had to suspend the yatra events after SKM activists created a ruckus at Sukhbir’s rally in Moga on September 3. The Akali leaders have been at loggerhead with farmer unions over holding political activities since.
{{/usCountry}}On Thursday, AAP national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal held a well-attended political rally in Ludhiana. The previous day, he addressed a large gathering of industrialists and traders in the industrial city of Ludhiana.
Sukhbir on Wednesday led a tractor march in Mohali to demand more compensation for farmers whose land was acquired by the government to develop various road projects.
He on September 25 visited about six villages of Bathinda and Mansa that were hit by pink bollworm. Though a group of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur) showed black flags to Sukhbir’s convoy at Sekhpura, no effort was made to disrupt his meeting with a number of cotton growers.
Besides, he held interactions with industrialists and professionals at various places in Ludhiana on September 26. The SAD has already announced a protest rally in Bathinda on October 3 to demand a compensation of ₹50,000 per acre after pest infested the cotton-growing belt.
On Thursday, supporters of the newly inducted transport minister Amrinder Singh Raja Warring organised celebratory programmes at 16 places to welcome their MLA in his constituency of Gidderbaha.
Though a group of farmer activists surrounded Warring, no effort was made to disrupt the event.