Farmers Movement Archive

Cong, JMM find strength as BJP is routed in Punjab municipal polls

Ranchi: Congress’s landslide sweep in municipal body elections in Punjab amid the farmers’ protest on Wednesday has emboldened the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in Jharkhand, where panchayat polls, civic body election and one bypoll are also slated to in the coming months. Notably, Congress recorded a victory in Bathinda Municipal Corporation in Punjab for the first time in 53 years. Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (JPCC) said the victory is a result of an outburst of pent up anger against BJP and NDA government’s three farm laws. “The verdict is the beginning of the downfall of NDA. Farmers and the people at large have shown the mirror to the Modi government. The trend will traverse to other parts of the country where various polls will take place,” Congress spokesperson Alok Dubey said. Congress’s Lal Kishorenath Shahdeo added that BJP was routed because of its arrogance and attempts to defame and divide farmers by calling them anti-nationals and Khalistanis. “Despite sustained efforts by the Centre to sabotage the farmers’ protest, our country’s annadatas are fighting against the legislations to safeguard their future,” he said. JMM, the lead alliance partner in the mahagathbandhan government, said the Punjab verdict should be an eye-opener for BJP. “Not just the farm laws, the verdict is an indication of people’s anger against price hikes, joblessness, poor handling of the lockdown, agrarian and rural distress and failing economy. Civic bodies usually have an urban voter base, which BJP considers as its stronghold, and the results are a dent in its burrows,” JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharjee said, adding that this trend will be visible in Jharkhand in future polls. “BJP faced rejection in the recent bypolls in Bermo and Dumka. In the upcoming Madhupur bypoll, UPA (JMM-Congress-RJD) will defeat NDA. Unlike false promises of BJP, our alliance government is doing what it promised in the assembly polls,” he said, citing examples of Hemant Soren government’s decision to provide farm loan waiver, reduce fees for state civil service examination, approve a high court bench in Dumka, the state’s second capital. BJP, however, rejected the theory. “Punjab has been the epicentre of farmers protest, so that played a role in the results. Having said so, municipal polls are in no way any indications of the trend for general elections,” BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said.

The Times of India

2021-02-18

Ranchi