Won't be easy for farmers in fray to translate support to votes

Manmeet Singh Gill

Amritsar, January 17

It seems that it would be rather difficult for Sanyukt Samaj Morcha, the consortium of farmer unions contesting the Assembly elections, to be able to translate the support it had received in the two border districts — Amritsar and Tarn Taran into votes.

REASON Inter-union rivalries, race for one-upmanship among different farmer unions, opposition from unions who announced to stay away from elections would be some of the biggest challenges

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Of the 15 Assembly constituencies in the two districts, the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha has so far announced candidates from three seats. It has fielded Dr Satnam Singh Ajnala, a veteran farmer leader and a former agricultural technocrat from Rajasansi constituency.

Harjinder Singh Tanda, an Azad Sangharsh Committee leader has been announced as candidate from Khadoor Sahib constituency, while 25-year-old Dr Sukhmandeep Singh Dhillon from Tarn Taran Assembly constituency.

The farmer leaders confided that Indian-American cardiologist Dr Swaiman Singh, who had played key services during the agitation at Delhi borders, had vouched for Dr Dhillon.

The inter-union rivalries and the race for one-upmanship among the different farmer unions coupled with opposition from farmer unions who have already announced to stay away from elections would be some of the biggest challenges for SSM candidates.

“The day the agitation at Delhi borders had ended, the agitators were no more farmer activists. They returned back to be Akalis, Congressmen or AAP volunteers,” said a senior farmer leader. He said the committed support base of the farmers’ unions is still intact but the unprecedented support the cause (farmers’ agitation) had received from different sections of society has faded away.

While SAD, Congress and AAP have announced candidates from most of the seats in the two districts, the SSM has lagged behind. If sources in the SSM are to be believed, it may take another seven to 10 days for it to finalise candidates on the remaining seats.