Farmers’ Stir Swaying Punjab Civic Body Polls; BJP Members Fight as Independents

The resistance against the central government for repeal of three contentious agricultural laws has found its way into the civic body polls, scheduled to be held on February 14 in Punjab, as a large section of candidates are contesting as independents. As per the sources, the farmers agitation is the main issue concerning the upcoming polls and many candidates from the centrally ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have distanced themselves from their respective parties and are fighting the polls independently.

A total of 9,222 candidates are in the fray for the upcoming municipal polls, and among them, 2,832 are contesting as independents, 2,037 are from the ruling party in the state Congress, and 1,569 are from SAD. Notably, AAP is fighting elections for the first time with 1,606 nominees and the BJP, as the party is fighting independently for the first time without the support of SAD, has 1,003 nominees.

The civic polls come at a time when there is a huge agitation going on at Delhi borders against the BJP-led central government by the farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. A sustained movement is also taking place in Punjab against the three farm laws passed in Parliament last year, which the protesting farmers believe will pave way to privatisation. Moreover, the farmers are demanding the creation of a law regarding Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.

Inside Punjab, there is a huge resentment against the BJP among locals in the backdrop of the farm laws. The posters of BJP candidates are being removed from the walls and at some places, black ink has been thrown at posters. In many areas, locals say, the BJP candidates are not coming out openly regarding their nominations fearing backlash.

Speaking to NewsClick, Jaswinder Singh from Aulia village, Gurdaspur said, “You might not find posters of BJP leaders or their flags – such is the anger among locals here. In Gurdaspur Municipal Corporation, many contesting from the BJP haven not come out openly and are mostly filing nomination as independent candidates as an escape route. There is an out and out resentment against BJP.”

Recently, the saffron party’s chief from Bathinda, Vinod Kumar Binta and another party member Parminder Kaur filed nomination papers as Independent candidates from Ward number 2 in the Bhucho Municipal Council and Ward number 9 in the Bathinda Corporation respectively.

Sources said that most of the candidates fighting polls as independents are deceiving the people and might align with the BJP later. The same was confirmed by Parminder Kaur and Vinod Kumar Binta. Speaking to NewsClick, Parminder Kaur, who is fighting as an independent candidate said that she has not resigned from BJP and might join the party later owing to the “circumstances”. “Those contesting from BJP are facing huge resentment. Now that I am fighting as an independent candidate, I won’t face such resentment.”

While Binta confirmed the same saying, “I have not resigned the party although I have filed [nomination] as an independent candidate on a different symbol. I will later align with BJP after the results are declared.”

Ironically, despite owing allegiance to BJP, Kaur is fighting on a “farmer riding on tractor” symbol. Reportedly, the farmer on tractor has been the most “sought-after” symbol in the coming polls. Almost every other independent candidate is using symbols depicting farmers, tractors or farmers riding the tractors.

Political analysts believe that the ongoing protests at the Delhi borders and inside Punjab are shaping the narrative for the local polls and opting for such a symbol is an attempt to attract votes in the backdrop of the ongoing farmers stir.

The process of filing nominations closed on February 3, whereas, the campaigning for the polls will end on February 12 at 5pm. According to the State Election Commission (SEC), the counting of votes will take place on February 17.