Chanchal Manohar Singh
Chandigarh: The BJP-led Haryana collation government which was under pressure from day one of the farmers' protests has come under heavy pressure with the farmers’ protest receiving impassioned support in the aftermath of the Centre’s crackdown that boomeranged.
Ally Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), which is in fact the lifeline of the Manohar Lal Khattar government, is under tremendous pressure from the farmers’ panchayats over the past few days to dump the BJP.
Khattar is making his best to meet the greed of the JJP MLAs. As many posts in various boards and corporations were lying vacant and the JJP legislators had been assured appointment as heads of these bodies after the farmers’ protest dies down.cc
Both the BJP and the JJP had hoped that the protests movement would fizzle out after the chaos during the farmers’ tractor rally on Republic Day. Contrary to their expectations, with the rejuvenation of protests and gatherings at mahapanchayats in support of Rakesh Tikait have made an electrifying turnaround and now seem to be difficult for the government to control the rising tide of protests.
“Yes, many MLAs are finding it extremely difficult to face the people. We hope the issue gets over soon,” an office-bearer of the JJP said.
Many BJP MLAs too are not able to visit their constituencies due to anger among farmers. Chief minister Khattar and his deputy Dushyant Chautala have had to cancel events after facing intense anger in their constituencies.
The BJP had announced campaigns to counter the “misinformation” on the new farm laws but hasn’t been able to hold rallies in anywhere what to talk of in villages.
Instead of any signs of ebbing, the mahapanchayats of farmer leaders have been drawing massive crowds — the latest being at Jind on Wednesday — unsettling the ruling coalition.
Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait, whose tearful images plus passionate message has turned the tide of the movement, and other leaders addressed the meeting and resolutions were passed to stress that there would be no wavering from the demand for the scrapping of the laws.
Speaking at the mahapanchayat, Tikait warned the government of consequences if the farm laws were not repealed.
“We have so far talked about ‘bill wapsi’ (repeal of the laws). The government should listen carefully. What will you do if the youths call for ‘gaddi wapsi’ (removal from power), as announced at the Jind mahapanchayat ?” NDTV quoted Tikait as having told the congregation. What worry’s the government more is the presence of women and youth in large numbers at the mahapanchayats in Haryana.
The government had perceived the farmers’ protest as a movement restricted to Punjab with marginal support in Haryana. But the agitation has only gone from strength to strength. In the aftermath of the January 26 fiasco and the government’s move to suppress the movement, the protests have spread to western Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Although JJP legislators have so far managed to stick with the party, many district-level leaders have been forced by agitators to quit and join the movement.
On Tuesday, the JJP’s Karnal district president, Inderjit Singh Goraya, left the party in support of the farmers and accused Chautala of not standing up for the peasants.
“Dushyant Chautala should have stood by the farmers like Devi Lal (his great grandfather and former chief minister and deputy Prime Minister),” Goraya said. He urged the other MLAs of the party to quit in protest as reported in the Telegraph.
In the recent past, many JJP and BJP office-bearers, including a former BJP MLA, have resigned to show solidarity with the farmers.
The BJP has 40 MLAs in the 90-member Assembly, while the JJP has 10 and the Congress 30. While the BJP relies mainly on the urban votes in Haryana, the JJP draws strength from the Jats, the dominant agrarian community.
Since the farmers’ protest at Delhi’s borders began in November-end, Chautala has met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other central ministers. He has, however, been keeping silent for the past several days with insiders claiming he is in a bind.
Although the BJP leaders claim that the Haryana government is safe and no JJP MLA would quit, pressure has been mounting on the JJP MLAs to get out of the collation in favour of the farmers' agitation for repealing of three farm laws and providing legal status to Minimum Support Price (MSP) a senior Haryana BJP leader said.
Khattar is making his best to meet the greed of the JJP MLAs. As many posts in various boards and corporations were lying vacant and the JJP legislators had been assured appointment as heads of these bodies after the farmers’ protest dies down.
The BJP, however, has been facing pressure also from the principal Opposition, the Congress. Congress stalwart and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is said to be trying to bring down the government over the farmers’ issue. If the situation continues as it is today the Haryana Congress plans to introduce a no-confidence motion against the Khattar government during the upcoming budget session.