Politically ‘active’ Punjab takes note of Haryana CM Saini’s visits
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini seems to be creating new and unusual ripples in Punjab. Last Thursday, he took the government by surprise not just by visiting Sunam, the village of Udham Singh, the freedom fighter who assassinated Michael O’ Dwyer of Jallianwala Bagh infamy, but by going to Sunam several hours before the Punjab Chief Minister reached there.
On Friday night, when the BJP wanted to bring on board former Akali Dal leader and realtor Ranjit Singh Gill, Saini is believed to have sprung the idea of him joining the saffron party. The two events have not just been noticed, but have created a stir in Punjab’s political arena.
Considering that the Haryana CM’s visits to Punjab were abruptly put on hold in April, following the Bhakra Beas Management Board controversy of giving additional water to his state of Haryana, the sudden increase in his activities in Punjab, especially in functions or events of/related to the 31 per cent Other Backward Classes (OBC) community, have made a “politically agile” Punjab sit up and take notice, even though the elections to the state assembly are still 18 months away.
Wearing a kesari turban on each visit to Punjab, highlighting the benefits of “double engine” government by showcasing the fast-growing Haryana vis-a-vis the sagging economy of Punjab, Saini is not just using symbolism but also touching upon the growing sentiment in Punjab — that of the state being left behind in terms of economic growth. In the process he is wooing both Sikhs and industrialists/traders. So far, his visits are restricted to the Puadh area (area between Sutlej and Ghaggar rivers, which has a sizeable population of Saini community) and the areas adjoining Haryana, though sources indicate that he will soon start meeting industrialists of Punjab.
Interestingly, since June this year, Punjab’s AAP government has also been on a “please industry” spree by giving them several incentives through its “Udyog Kranti” campaign.
The message being sent out through Saini’s frequent intrusions in Punjab is clear — he is the BJP Central leadership’s informal new man on Punjab affairs. Sunil Jakhar, the party president, seems disinterested in his job and Ashwani Sharma, the party working president, hardly has a profile.
Saini’s visits to win over the OBC community, and the recent “patch up” between the BJP and the state’s “political’ farming community, over the Aam Aadmi Party’s land pooling scheme, have been enough to stir the state’s political pot. The two issues also signal the resurgence of the BJP in the state — five years after they were declared “political untouchables” in the wake of the three farm laws that led to a year-long farmers’ protest at the borders of Delhi, where 700 farmers lost their lives.
If in 2020-21, it was the Aam Aadmi Party that “reaped the dividends” of the farmers struggle, by winning the 2022 elections with a resounding majority, this time, the ruling AAP’s crackdown on farmers in March earlier this year (when the SKM was prevented from protesting and SKM (Non Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Manch-sponsored year-long dharnas at Shambhu and Khanauri were forcibly cleared) have brought AAP in direct confrontation with farmers, with the land pooling policy to acquire 65,533 acres of land being the latest flashpoint.
With several farmers starting to ban the entry of ruling party leaders in villages, “the once outcaste BJP” seems to be getting a new profile.
The question is, with all eyes on the election 18 months from now, is the BJP going to be able to consolidate its new found presence in Punjab?
Punjab