Farmers’ stir spells trouble for NDA allies

There are ominous signs for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) even as the stock of the INDIA bloc and its adherents has begun to rise in popular estimation.

Farmers’ agitation is altering the alliance choices of the NDA partners in the states around capital Delhi.

The ongoing Farmers' agitation is spelling trouble for the BJP in getting the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) into its NDA fold.

The current round of agitation demanding legal backing for the Minimum Support Price (MSP)—showing all signs of intensifying—has foredoomed the prospects of these two former allies coming together.

They had parted company prior to the elections for Punjab Assembly in 2022 after farmers launched a year-long sit-in dharna around Delhi in 2021 calling for repeal of three farm bills.

As a quasi-religious political party representing the rural Sikhs and farmers’ interest, SAD can scarcely be seen neglecting their demands.

Some hint of growing distance between the SAD and the BJP was available when SAD MP and a former member of the Modi cabinet Harsimrat Kaur, openly voiced her views about the Union Govt's hostile stance against the farmers.

The occasion was inauguration of the AIIMS at Bhatinda. Mr. Modi had virtually inaugurated the hospital on Sunday (February 25).

The scenario is similar in the Jatland around Delhi where Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), now headed by Jayant Chaudhury, grandson of Chaudhury Charan Singh and a Rajya Sabha MP, had hitched his bandwagon with the BJP amid the euphoria of his grandfather and former prime minister being conferred with the Bharat Ratna on February 9.

With Rakesh Tikait, Jat leader heading the Bharatiya Kisan Union, threatening to join the agitators from Punjab and Haryana, the prospects of attracting Jat votes from western Uttar Pradesh have dimmed thereby considerably weakening the leverage RLD would have with its core vote bank among Jats and western UP.

He is being accused of sidelining the ideology of his grandfather and ruining his legacy.

Doubts are also now being raised if Jananayak Janata Party headed by Dushyant Chautala, will continue to remain with the NDA, now that protesting farmers are on the warpath against the Centre's farm policies.

Dushyant, great grandson of former deputy prime minister Devi Lal, had rebelled against his uncle Abhaysingh Chautala-led Indian National Lok Dal in 2028 and joined the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government in Haryana.

Though his party essentially represents the farmers’ interests, his flirtation with the BJP has cast aspersions on his loyalties to the core ideology of the party.

The farmers’ stir has indeed come at an inopportune moment for the BJP and the NDA which find it difficult to grapple with issues raised by them.