Nayab Saini's Haryana budget: A 'soft launch' for BJP's Punjab campaign?

The pro-Punjab political undertones in the Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP’s Haryana Government’s budget were not lost on anyone in the region.

Sporting a ‘kesari’ turban, amidst chants of “Bole So Nihal”, the Haryana Chief Minister presented his budget proposals — which analysed politically — sends a message to Punjab on how a “double-engine” government can give a fillip to the state economy.

The political message of the Haryana budget for the poll-bound Punjab is all the more significant as Saini is more or less leading the BJP’s political foray into Punjab, wooing farmers and the politically important voter segment of women. Political observers in Punjab are terming the Haryana budget as a “soft launch” of the BJP campaign for Punjab, which goes to polls in a few months from now.

A closer look at the budget shows that the welfare schemes offered to the natives of neighbouring Haryana have a comparison trap for the Punjab’s AAP Government, which is going to present its final budget of the current tenure, before they go to polls.

Considering the limited fiscal space that the state has, the Punjab Government is stretching all its resources to ensure that they give Rs 1,000 per month honorarium to every woman. To do so, without filtering out the economically well-off women, the state will need Rs 1,000 crore per month. The state Finance department is scraping the barrel to ensure it has enough reserves to roll out the scheme, which will ensure that they can consolidate the 48 per cent of women votes.

But this has been countered by Haryana through their Deen Dyal Lado Lakshmi Yojana, where all women from low income households will get Rs 2,100 per month.

For the farmers, the other big segment of voters, the Haryana Government has proposed crop diversification bonuses; not named the emotive issue of SYL canal in the budget; and, even announced a separate power distribution company for agriculture feeders to supply power to them.

Comparatively, Punjab’s AAP government, which stormed to power in 2022, riding high on support from farmers, especially in politically significant Malwa region, has been at loggerheads with farmer unions for a year now. The much-awaited Agriculture Policy has not been announced and no one in the government seems to be talking to the farmers on any of their issues, meaning the thaw in relations is not in close sight.

The third major factor was the cultural and religious outreach by Haryana CM Saini in his budget speech, and not just through the turban he wore. His speech was interspersed with verses of Gurbani and he made mention of Guru Ravidas — undoubtedly trying to reach out to both Sikhs and Dalits.

The AAP, which had got 47 per cent of Sikh votes in 2022, according to a survey by Lokniti, has so far not found much favour with the Sikhs for failure to bring closure and justice in the  sacrilege cases and also in the missing saroop case.

Also, while Saini is himself an OBC leader and makes frequent forays in Punjab, chairing functions of OBC and Dalit groups, AAP has so far failed to project a tall Dalit leader or fulfill its earlier promise of making a Dalit the deputy chief minister.