Seeds of dissent: Are there cracks showing up in the NDA alliances in Punjab and Haryana?

Simmering discontent amongst NDA allies in both Punjab and Haryana, spills out into the open in the wake of the recent farmers’ agitation against the contentious agriculture ordinances.

Saurabh Chauhan
| Updated: Last updated on September 23rd, 2020,

On September 17, the central government presented three agriculture related ordinances in the Parliament, two of which were passed as bills with a voice vote. The third is still under discussion. All the three ordinances have faced huge protests from farmers in Punjab and Haryana who have been opposing these ordinances tooth and nail. And, the Union cabinet minister for the Food processing industry, and Lok Sabha member from Bhatinda Punjab, Harsimrat Kaur Badal of the Shiromani Akali Dal, also resigned in protest. 

The three contentious ordinances, which were passed as ordinances in June this year, were introduced to the Lok Sabha. These include the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020.  

A day after the passing of the bills and Badal’s resignation, the  Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured the agriculture reforms were in the best interests of the farmers, and that the detractors were spreading “misinformation and lies.”

After Lok Sabha passed two contentious farm bills, Harsimrat Kaur Badal quit the Union Cabinet in protest.

Explaining what the bills would signify to the farmers, the Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar stated in a press statement: “Farmers will now have freedom for direct marketing of their produce and will be able to get better prices, MSP procurement system will continue, consumers will also benefit. The reforms will accelerate agricultural growth through private sector investment in building agricultural infrastructure and supply chains for Indian farm produce in national and global markets, create employment opportunities and strengthen the economy.”  

However, tensions between political parties have continued. 

Badal’s resignation has now put considerable pressure on Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) in Haryana, a trusted ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Digvijay Chautala, the younger brother of Haryana deputy Chief Minister and JJP leader, Dushyant Chautala, declared that the lathi-charge on the protesting farmers in Pipli (Haryana) at the The Kisan Bachao Mandi Bachao rally earlier this month, was as good as an attack on the Devilal family that has always  projected itself as saviour and servants of the farmers. 

Back in Punjab, the Akali Dal leader Daljit Singh Cheema demanded that the Chief Minister Amarinder Singh issue a white paper on his participation in the meeting of a high powered panel to frame ordinances. Singh has however steadfastly denied that he had nothing to do with the central government’s decision regarding the ordinances. 

Political observers agree that the ordinances, the agitation and its aftermath have brought to the fore the simmering differences between the alliances. “Remaining in the alliance is the compulsion of the Shiromani Akali Dal. The grand old party has only two Lok Sabha MPs, Sukhbir Singh Badal and Harsimrat Kaur Badal. Punjab is going to polls in eighteen months,” DS Kang, an Amritsar based political analyst, told Gaon Connection

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal’s Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Gujaral told Gaon Connection  that no decision had been taken on the alliance so far. “We are clear on the farm bills issue. But we are also aware of the situation and the challenges the NDA government is faced with, especially regarding India-China border issue. We understand the need of not undermining the government facing other challenges,” he said.

The three ordinances were promulgated based on the high powered panel that discussed the matter after due consideration by all member states, after which the Lok Sabha recently passed The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020. The third ordinance is still under consideration. 

The three ordinances promise to devoid agricultural trade of all sorts of restrictions. The legislation would open up the farming sector to more competition thereby leading to modernisation of supply chains allowing bigger agriculture businesses to directly engage with farmers and giving access to unorganised markets.

The blame game

The Shiromani Akali Dal has continued to deny that it was consulted on the farm ordinances, despite the fact that it was an ally in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).  

It went on to accuse Amrinder Singh of betraying the farmers. Earlier, Singh had dared the Shiromani Akali Dal to withdraw its support to the NDA, if it really cared so much about the farmers.  

“This move is not out of any love for the farmers, but a political compulsion,” President of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Sunil Jakhar told Gaon Connection. “Till a few days ago, Shiromani Akali Dal had no problem with these very ordinances that are now bills in the parliament,” he pointed out. “The BJP and its allies have to make their stand clear now. In Punjab, the Akali Dal is fooling the people. The party is still in the NDA while the BJP’s Ally in Haryana continues to be mum on the issue,” he added. 

Condemning the ordinances as being a conspiracy to weaken farmers rather than a reform measure, Jakhar stated that the Congress had made its stand clear. “We oppose the centre’s move to weaken the farmers and the farm sectors which are already in so much of crisis. These ordinances have opened the marketplace without any regulation,” he pointed out.  

The politics of farming

Amidst the political brouhaha, the farmers are left guessing their fate. “If a minister resigns today because the bills were passed, the farmers will still not get anything,” Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) President, Balbir Singh Rajewal told Gaon Connection. “The central government’s anti-farmers policies have drained the farming community. But this is surely an embarrassing situation for the BJP. Either way, as far as the state politics is concerned, this issue has taken centre stage and will dominate the elections which are still more than a year away,” he said.

The relations between the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP have been souring of late especially after the latter denied seats to the Akali Dal in the Delhi assembly elections and later in Haryana. 

Punjab goes to the polls in a year and a half. “As per the formula implemented in the previous assembly polls, the BJP contests 23 of the total 117 assembly segments. But it is likely that the farmers’ agitation and anger may work in favour of the Shiromani Akali Dal,”  Chandigarh-based political analyst DS Sharma told Gaon Connection. The farmers, who are the core vote bank in Punjab may side with them, he commented.

Some people within the BJP are also upset with the developments. “This should have been avoided.  BJP currently contests on 23 seats. Since the alliance seems intact, BJP in the coming election may not be in position to bargain for more seats,” said a former BJP MP, requesting anonymity.

Is Haryana next?

While Punjab deals with the aftermath of the ordinances, in Haryana, Devilal’s family is also facing flak, especially deputy chief minister in the Manohar Lal Khattar-led state government, Dushyant Chautala. Chautala must resign, tweeted Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala. pointing out that the deputy chief minister had come to power on the farmers’ vote and it would be nothing short of betrayal if he did not step down in protest against the anti-farmer ordinances. 

In the meanwhile, the younger brother of  Chautala,  Digvijay Chautala on Thursday apologised to the farmers who were recently lathicharged. “Jannayak Janata Party was always with the farmers… and the interests of the farmers are always supreme for the party. After watching the video of lathicharge on farmers, the first thing we did was to condemn the incident as it was wrong,” he said during a Press conference in Chandigarh on Thursday. Jannayak Janata Party has 10 seats in the 90-member Haryana assembly. 

Jannayak Janata Party in Haryana and Akali Dal in Punjab have a similar rural voter base. “While the Deputy Chief Minister and the party leadership will take the final call, our step will be in favour of the farmers,” cautiously offered a JJP leader, requesting anonymity. 

JJP is also facing opposition from two of its own MLAs over the ordinances. “There is dissatisfaction among most of the party’s ten MLAs,” admitted JJP MLA Devender Babli. “But we believe the party will stand by the farmers,” he stated.

In the midst of the charges and counter-charges, accusations and excuses, where does the farmer stand? “I wish the entire political mayhem could benefit farmers who fear exploitation,” Devinder Sharma, food policy expert told Gaon Connection

Meanwhile, the farmer organisations have decided to intensify their protests against the agriculture bills. The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, an umbrella of 250 farmers’ organisations, has called for a nation-wide strike on September 25.