New Delhi: Ahead of the Assembly election in Punjab scheduled early next year, around 22 farmers’ unions, that were part of the umbrella body Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), have come together to float a political party Samyukt Samaj Morcha on Saturday. to take party in Punjab assembly elections. The political front of farmers in Punjab will be led by farmer’s leader Balbir Singh Rajewal and will contest the upcoming polls on all 117 seats in the state.
Addressing media, Rajewal said, “A new ‘Samyukta Samaj Morcha’ is formed for contesting Punjab Assembly elections. 22 unions have taken this decision. We need to change the system and want to appeal to people to support this morcha.”
A new 'Samyukta Samaj Morcha' is formed for contesting Punjab Assembly elections. 22 unions have taken this decision. We need to change the system and want to appeal to people to support this morcha: Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal in Chandigarh pic.twitter.com/VK3ctiVKvk
— ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2021
Rajewal said he was under tremendous pressure from the people of Punjab to contest the polls after withdrawal of farms law and victory of the farmers. He said Punjab is facing a lot of problems like drugs, unemployment and the migration of youth from the state, which the party wants to address.
Samyukt Kisan Morcha, the umbrella body that led the year-long protest against the three farm laws passed by Central government last year, has however, distanced itself from the new political outfit, and clarified that name of SKM should not be used for political purpose during election campaign.
In a statement, leaders of the nine-member coordination committee of the Morcha, Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Dr Darshan Pal said that the main objective of SKM was to push for the withdrawal of the farm laws and the umbrella body will not contest Punjab Assembly elections scheduled to be held in 2022.
The leaders said that the SKM, which is a platform of more than 400 different ideological organizations across the country, is formed only on the issues of farmers. “There is no call for the boycott of elections and even no understanding of contesting elections. SKM was made by the people to get their rights from the government and after the repeal of three agricultural laws, the struggle has been postponed, the remaining demands will be decided in the meeting to be held on January 15, 2022,” they stated.
Regarding organizations not joining the new political outfit in Punjab, the leaders said that there was no consensus on contesting jointly in this assembly election. “It has been decided that the individuals or organizations participating in the elections can not use the names of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha or 32 organizations. Doing so will result in disciplinary action,” they added.
The leaders clarified that in front of 32 organizations, Krantikari Kisan Union (Dr Darshanpal), BKU Krantikari (Surjit Phool), BKU Sidhupur (Jagjit Dallewal), Azad Kisan Committee Doaba (Harpal Sangha), Jai Kisan Andolan (Gurbakhsh Barnala), Dasuha Ganna Sangharsh Committee (Sukhpal Daffar), Kisan Sangharsh Committee Punjab (Inderjit Kotbudha), Lok Bhalai Insaaf Welfare Society (Baldev Sirsa) and Kirti Kisan Union Punjab (Hardev Sandhu) have taken a clear stand against contesting elections.
As per Hindustan Times report, three farm bodies including Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) (Dakounda) and BKU (Lakhowal) will decide shortly whether to join the new party. Earlier on December 15, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait had said that he is not going to contest any elections and urged the political parties to not make use of his name or photos in their posters.
Earlier, SKM’s core committee member Gurnam Singh Chaduni had also floated a political party Samyukta Sangharsh Party, that is scheduled to contest in the upcoming assembly polls.
The farmers returned to their homes after the SKM earlier this month announced the suspension of their year-long farmers’ agitation. Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh had laid siege to the Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri borders in November 2020 to demand the repeal of the three farm laws, which were finally withdrawn in the Winter Session of Parliament earlier this month.
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