The BJP on Sunday claimed credit for the withdrawal of the state government’s controversial land pooling policy as it held a rally in Rajpura to woo farmers ahead of the crucial 2027 Assembly poll.
The Kisan-Mazdoor Fateh Rally, held to celebrate the farmers’ victory, was attended by almost all big Punjab leaders, including state BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, working president Ashwani Sharma and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu.
The party also claimed that the Centre’s now-withdrawn three controversial farm laws were introduced after consultation with its earlier ally SAD, which “lied to Prime Minister Narendra Modi” that state farmers were “in favour of the legislations”.
The central laws were withdrawn by the BJP-led Centre following a year-long protest at the Delhi borders by farmers in 2020-21, the period during which the SAD walked out of the decades-old alliance with the party. The controversy had led to deep distrust between state farmers and the BJP as party leaders faced fierce opposition while campaigning for the last Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in rural areas.
The land pooling initiative, under which the government had planned to acquire around 65,000 acres, was withdrawn following a political backlash, farmer opposition and a High Court order that stayed the its implementation for four weeks. Targeting ruling AAP, Jakhar demanded clarity on who framed the initiative. He also alleged that the state was being run by “outsiders”.