chandigarh:
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha – the umbrella body of farmers’ unions that led the protest against agricultural laws – will not contest the 2022 Punjab elections, and no person or organization may use his name or that of its member groups in opinion polls, the group said. Saturday.
The SKM underlined the lack of consensus among 32 member groups on the election; those inclined to contest the election can ally with the Aam Aadmi party, for whom party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has actively courted farmers.
“The SKM – a platform of more than 400 different ideological organizations across the country, was founded only for the problems of farmers. There is no call for boycott of elections and no understanding of contesting elections…”, he said. a statement from the nine-member coordination.
The farmers’ group said it was founded “by the people to get their rights from the government” and that after the repeal of the farm laws, the fighting had ceased.
“The other requirements (including legal guarantees for MSP or minimum support price) will be decided in the meeting to be held on January 15, 2022,” the SKM said.
The SKM’s firm statement on not contesting the elections in Punjab comes after reports said a majority of the 32 member groups were in favor of contesting the polls.
Today, the group made it clear that at least nine members were against participating in the election.
These nine are Krantikari Kisan Union, BKU Krantikari, BKU Sidhupur, Azad Kisan Committee Doaba, Jai Kisan Andolan, Dasuha Ganna Sangharsh Committee, Kisan Sangharsh Committee Punjab, Lok Bhalai Insaaf Welfare Society and Kirti Kisan Union Punjab.
Punjab (and four other states, including UP) will hold elections in February-March.
Both states have significant farming populations and their votes are seen as the key to deciding whether to stay or leave the Congress (in power in Punjab) and the BJP (in power in UP).
The agricultural laws – passed last September – sparked furious protests across the country.
Last month, however, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a stunning announcement just three months before the UP and Punjab elections that the three laws would be repealed.
The government’s surprising turnaround — after leading figures, including the prime minister, verbally assaulted protesting farmers for months — raised questions among critics who pointed to the polls.
As part of the protest, thousands of farmers from Punjab and UP (as well as Haryana and Rajasthan) had camped on the Delhi border since November last year. The BJP – in power in the center and in UP, hoping to drive Congress out of Punjab – faced enormous anger from voters in these states.
The rollback was therefore seen as politically important, especially with the 2024 general election, and sparked speculation from critics and the opposition that the BJP could try to revive agricultural laws after this round of elections – assuming, of course, that it has the political capital.