Punjab Polls: For Farmer Leader Balbir Singh Rajewal, Samrala Is an Uphill Task

While voters like Rajewal as a farmer leader, many remain skeptical about his decision to contest polls.

"(Balbir) Rajewal ji's position as a union leader is way above, and far more important than that of an MLA," says 31-year-old Jagdeep Singh Gill, a businessman from Punjab's Samrala assembly constituency.

At first, Gill seems to be a huge admirer of farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal. His admiration, however, is unlikely to translate into his vote for Rajewal's Sanyukta Samaj Morcha (SSM) — a party born out of the year-long farmers' protest against the three controversial, now repealed, farm laws.

"Samrala is looking for change, and that change is the Aam Aadmi Party," says Gill. "Though we are spoilt for choice, I must say. The sitting Congress MLA Amrik Singh Dhillon, who is now contesting as an independent, has also done a good job."

Gill is indeed right when he says that people of Samrala are spoilt for choice as 14 candidates from different parties are in the running for the MLA post.

Rajewal is up against AAP's Jagtar Singh Diyalpura; Paramjit Singh Dhillon representing the Shiromani Akali Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party alliance; Congress' Rupinder Singh Raja Gill; and BJP's Ranjit Singh Gahlewal.

Rajewal's Litmus Test

Last December, 22 farmer unions, which are all members of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha — the umbrella organisation which stirred the year-long farmers' movement — floated a political party called Sanyukta Samaj Morcha (SSM).

This decision created instant ripples in Punjab politics. From rumours suggesting that the then newly-formed SSM will join hands with Arvind Kejriwal's AAP were quashed by Rajewal, who was appointed the face of the party.

Cracks also emerged within the SKM, with unions who were not a part of the political front, including BKU (Ugranhan), publicly criticising Rajewal's move.

In terms of election arithmetic, SSM's entry in Punjab politics has made it a multi-party fight with Congress, AAP, BJP, SAD, and SSM emerging as key players.

"The fight in Punjab has traditionally been between the Akali Dal and the Congress. This time we want to vote for a new party," says Jaspreet Kaur, a 21-year-old job aspirant. "AAP deserves a chance this time. They have worked hard for this. SSM is very new. We don't know anything about their plan and roadmap for the people of Punjab," she says.

The Marriage Between Activism and Politics

Kalyan Singh, 79, from Rajewal village says that he doesn't trust the farmer leader anymore. "His record as a union leader is stellar but what was the need to jump into politics? Was he doing this for votes all along?" he asks.

Gurvinder Singh, a graduate and job aspirant from Otalan village in Samrala, however, says that Rajewal has a loyal support base in the village. "There are people who will vote for him. They support him and his cause," he says.

Though Gurvinder is not entirely sure of the final outcome, he feels that the victory margin in Samrala will be very small this time around.

"People of Punjab did not go to the farmers' protest to support the cause of a union. We went there for ourselves. The victory in the farmers' protest cannot be credited to a single person or a union. It is a victory of all farmers. As a union leader, Rajewal created a pressure group which raised issues and demands of the farmers. The people of Punjab, however, will decide how this marriage of politics and activism plays out in the longer run."

Jagdeep Singh Gill, Businessman

Many people in the rural areas in Samrala assembly constituency also complained about Rajewal's absence. "He hasn't come to our village for campaigning even once. How do we vote for him without knowing what he has in store for us?" says Jagbir Singh, a farmer in Otalan village.

Key Issues

Unemployment, and education emerged as the two major issues in Samrala. "I'm a graduate. They (previous governments) promised to set up industries, and even give us government jobs. Those promises were never met. I have been unemployed for the last two years," says Gurvinder Singh, who is looking for a job.

Harmeet Singh, 62, standing next to him, agrees. "At this point, we don't need roads and drains. We need good, affordable education for our children," he adds.

Manpreet Kaur, a widow from the same village, feels that it is futile to expect anything from the government. "I will vote for whoever my friends and neighbours vote for. I have no expectations. Though I must say that I recently started receiving the pension promised for widows in the state," she states.