Balbir Singh Rajewal, 80, knows Punjab as well as he knows his crops. He was the face of the farmers’agitation, and now after forcing the government to repeal the three farm laws, the farmer leader has become the chief ministerial face of the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM).
The SSM, floated by 22 farm unions, is the youngest political party in the fray. It is trying to cash in on pro-farmer sentiment, which coursed through the state at the height of the farmers’ agitation. Like many parties born of a movement, the SSM appeals to emotions with the promise of a bright future for the state. However, with less than a month to go for assembly elections, can the SSM replicate the success of the Aam Aadmi Party that grew from the anti-corruption movement? The jury is still out.
On a chilly January morning, a month after the party was floated, THE WEEK met Rajewal at his rice mill, now run by his son, in Samrala, 60km from state capital Chandigarh—also the constituency he is contesting from. “We are yet to formally launch our campaign,” says the president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal). “People are not aware of the candidates. But wherever we go, we get huge response. You will see the campaign turning into a wave within a week.”
This story is from the February 13, 2022 edition of THE WEEK.
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This story is from the February 13, 2022 edition of THE WEEK.
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