Gurnam Singh Charuni of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU)-Charuni unit, one of the prominent faces of the year-long farm agitation, on Saturday launched his political party in Punjab. The state is set to see a high-stakes assembly election in the next few months.
Speaking to reporters at the Chandigarh Press Club, Charuni said the new outfit, Sanyukt Sangharsh Party, is planning to field candidates at all the 117 seats in the state.
He said politics in India has become polluted and there is a need to change it. “Policymakers are promoting capitalism, policies are being framed to favour capitalists. Nothing is done for the common man, the poor. So, we are launching our new party, Sanyukt Sangharsh Party,” the farmer leader was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
In November, Charuni had said he would not contest the elections but would field candidates and present a model of governance. “We will form our party for the polls... If our government comes to Punjab, the entire country in 2024 (when Lok Sabha elections are scheduled to be held) will look up to the Punjab model,” Charuni had said on November 25.
“We are running 'Mission Punjab' -- those who have votes should rule, and not the ones who have money,” he had said, adding that if the former rules, the votes will be made in voters' favour but if it is the latter, then laws will be made in favour of the wealthy.
{{/usCountry}}“We are running 'Mission Punjab' -- those who have votes should rule, and not the ones who have money,” he had said, adding that if the former rules, the votes will be made in voters' favour but if it is the latter, then laws will be made in favour of the wealthy.
{{/usCountry}}As the Centre repealed the agricultural laws, ending a year-long agitation by the farmers, Charuni refused to thank any political party or leader for the same and credited the farmers for the feat.
The top contenders for the upcoming election are the ruling Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) alliance.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has, meanwhile, formed a poll alliance with former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress.
(With ANI inputs)