Repeal of farm laws may force Cong to rejig strategy: Experts
DEHRADUN: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement to repeal the three farm laws will change the political equations for the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress in Uttarakhand with assembly elections months away left for the elections, experts say.
The Congress was projecting the farmers’ agitation against the three laws as its major poll plank and now the withdrawal of the legislations will force the opposition party to rework its strategy, experts say.
Before the repeal of the laws, the BJP was working on its strategy on how to minimise the damage in the seats, especially in US Nagar and Haridwar districts of the state, amid the farmers agitation. The Congress was using the agitation as a major weapon to attack BJP and woo the farmers, especially those hailing from the Sikh community in the two districts. However, after Friday’s development, both the parties will have to now come to the drawing board to chalk out a new strategy for the elections on the issue, they say.
Political analysts say the repeal of the laws won’t immediately turn the election tide in favour of the ruling BJP, but much will also depend on how the Congress exploits the changed scenario in the state.
The farmers’ agitation issue impacted all the nine constituencies of US Nagar district which has a significant Sikh population. The issue also had an impact on at least seven of the 11 constituencies of Haridwar district, which have significant number of farmers. farms laws. “Friday’s development is very significant considering the upcoming elections in the state. The repeal of the three controversial farm laws as definitely caused a dent in the Congress campaign as it has now lost a potent issue which it was raising and had planned to play up in the upcoming elections,” said Kazmi.
He said the party will now have to rethink its strategy on how to exploit the changed scenario. “It still has chance to exploit it by going among the farmers and speak about the deaths of their fellow farmers during the agitation against the farm laws. It should raise questions against the BJP -- why they didn’t take this move earlier when farmers lost their lives demanding the same? Of course a lot will depend on how the party is able to exploit the development in its favour because their leaders are still indulging in factionalism,” said Kazmi. Kazmi said the Centre’s move will not bring “major and immediate” benefits for the ruling BJP in Uttarakhand.
“If the BJP thinks that it will benefit them in the upcoming polls, then they are wrong, especially in the US Nagar district which has a significant number of Sikhs. It is because the Sikhs won’t forget their demonisation by the BJP leaders who called the farmers Khalistanis, terrorists and used other derogatory terms. They will also question the BJP on the death of farmers during the agitation,” said Kazmi.
Another political analyst and commentator, Jai Singh Rawat, too claimed that the BJP won’t have any significant benefit in the state in the elections.
“It won’t happen that easily because the BJP is now on back foot. It will be difficult for their leaders now to take credit for the repeal of the laws, which they were earlier calling beneficial for the farmers. They will definitely have to chalk out a fresh strategy on how to exploit the issue in their favour,” said Rawat.
Farmers welcome move but with caution
The farmer leaders of the state have welcomed the Centre’s move but said that they won’t end the agitation.
“We welcome the move of the Centre to repeal laws...It is a result of the ultimate sacrifice made by about 700 farmers during the agitation,” said Tejinder Virk, national president of Terai Kisan Union who was among the severely injured farmer leaders in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.
“However, our agitation won’t end with this as we are still waiting for a solution to other issues including MSP and power supply. We will also wait to end the agitation till the farm laws are repealed in the Parliament. Also, our further move will depend on the meeting of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha on Saturday,” said Virk.
Another farmer leader, Vijay Shastri, who is Haridwar district president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Tikait), too welcomed the move but expressed his apprehensions.
“We are happy that the Centre has decided to take the laws back but we are still sceptical until it is done in the Parliament. Until it is done there, we won’t end our agitation as said by our senior farmer leaders today,” said Shastri.
The Opposition Congress meanwhile, termed the Centre’s move as a “win of Indianness”. “This is has happened due to the struggle of lakhs of farmers and the sacrifices made by about 700 farmers during the agitation. We don’t believe that the government has done it only due to the elections. It has done that due to the resilient fight of our farmers,’ said Ganesh Godiyal, Congress state president.
On the question of Congress losing an important issue ahead of the elections, he said, “We are not seeing the development in context of the elections. We are seeing it as a defeat of the arrogant government in front of the farmers who were fighting for their rights.”
BJP state in charge Dushyant Kumar Gautam said the Narendra Modi government made the laws in the interest of the farmers. “He (PM) had done it for the betterment of farmers, to double the income of the farmers, to ensure they could sell the produce across the country, but the farmers couldn’t be convinced about the same. So, Modi ji took back the decision and we want to thank him for this decision. We wish farmers to now go into their farms and move ahead in the interests of the nation.”
BJP state president Devendra Bhasin said Congress always tries to give twists to events. “Prime Minister Modi has shown that he is pro-farmer and works for their all-round development. The laws were repealed as many farmers couldn’t be convinced and being a democratic country, the BJP government decided to repeal them”, he said.