Farmers Movement Archive

2022 Punjab polls: Charuni joins hands with traders to form political outfit, to be CM face

After facing suspension from Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) for floating the idea that farmer unions should fight elections, Haryana-based farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni on Monday joined hands with business fraternity in Ludhiana where a political party was launched and he was projected as the CM face for the upcoming Punjab elections. Announcing formation of ‘Bhartiya Arthik Party (BAP)’ for the ‘Mission Punjab 2022’, around 62 trade leaders from across the country converged in Ludhiana for the event. Tarun Jain Bawa, president of Bahadur-Ke Textile and Knitwear Association, was appointed as the national president of the new political front. Bawa said they will contest all the 117 seats in Punjab and Charuni will the CM face of the party. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) had on July 14 suspended Charuni for seven days for suggesting that Punjab farmer outfits involved in the stir against the Centre’s farm laws should contest the assembly polls next year. The BKU leader, however, didn’t change his stand and reiterated his political aspirations during his recent tours of different Punjab regions. “Following Charuni’s repeated statements that morcha members should launch mission Punjab and contest polls, we have decided to suspend him for a week,” senior SKM leader Balbir Singh Rajewal had told reporters. Rajewal said Charuni had been telling the Punjab farmers unions leaders to take a political plunge. “We had been telling him that we have no such programme. The SKM was not formed to contest polls but to lead the agitation,” said Rajewal, adding that during the suspension period, Charuni will not be allowed to share the morcha stage and make any statement on behalf of the umbrella body. Charuni, in a video message, had said his suspension was wrong and it won’t change his stand.

Hindustan Times

10-08-2021

Chandigarh