Union Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal believes that nationalism will play out in Lok Sabha elections across the country, with profound impact in Punjab. In an interview, she stressed that the farm loan waiver agenda of the Congress president Rahul Gandhi has already been exposed in Punjab where the Captain Amarinder Singh-led government has failed to fulfil its promises.
The BJP-SAD will be contesting LS elections on old formula. Is there any scope for shuffling constituencies?
SAD is the oldest ally of the BJP and will be contesting on same arrangement as for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Indeed, demographics of constituencies have changed a lot in recent years. We were keen to get Amritsar Lok Sabha seat. But the two parties agreed to contest the same constituencies.
Punjab is known to back the incumbent party in LS elections, which would give Congress an advantage. What are the challenges for NDA?
The Congress government in the state stands exposed. It created high hopes among people by making false promises but could not fulfil the poll promise of loan waiver to farmers. Since the farmers had stopped paying instalments after the Congress promised waiver, cultivators are in a bigger debt trap now than ever. The CM had promised that he would ensure one job to each family, which too proved to be a lie. The government has added to the people’s burden with electricity bills rising by 25%, curbs on widow pension and ration for the poor, bus fare and cost of registration of property going up. People have now seen through its misdeeds, which will help SAD-BJP alliance to register a
massive win.
The Punjab CM had called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitely to enhance borrowing capacity of the state so as to fulfil promises of loan waiver. But the Centre didn’t accede to demands.
Did the Congress make promises of farm loan waiver after Central clearance?
The CM hadn’t told people that he would fulfil loan waiver promise only if the Centre increased the borrowing limit. They have done similar things in Chhattisgarh, MP and Rajasthan. The people know Congress as a habitual liar. Farmers are already out on streets, blocking roads and highways. We are worried for Punjab.
Aam Admi Party (AAP) made a big electoral debut in Punjab in last Lok Sabha elections and the subsequent Assembly polls. Do you think that the state will witness a stiff triangular contest?
AAP has been the B-team of the Congress since beginning. In Lok Sabha, AAP MPs take instructions from leader of the Congres Mallikarjun Kharge. In Punjab, AAP is the main Opposition, yet it does not raise people’s issues. It’s only the NDA which is agitating against Congress misrule. AAP is already out of the political scene for all practical purposes.
The BJP is seemingly laying stress on nationalism. Will it work in polls?
Punjab is a bordering state with Pakistan and its people have been victims of Pakistan sponsored terrorism. India’s airstrike inside Pakistan would resonate not only with Punjabis, but across the country. We’ve given a befitting reply. We’ve demonstrated the benefits of a decisive and strong leadership under PM Modi.
But the Punjab CM has also a hardline image on Pakistan!
The CM has sought to deflect the attention of the people from the failure of his government on all fronts. The Congress is a divided house as well with its minister Navjot Singh Siddhu toeing the Pakistan line and the CM contradicting him all the time. Congress president Rahul Gandhi doesn’t side with either while promoting Siddhu to counter the Captain. It’s quite evident that Pakistan has made deep inroads in Congress.
But isn’t a national response against terror being politicised?
The Pulwama terror attack is a fact. Our jawans were martyred. Consequently, India executed a clean pre-emptive strike against terror hideouts. That happened after a sense prevailed that enough is enough.
But the Congress is giving voice to what the enemy (Pakistan) is saying. Would Rahul Gandhi have been able to take such a decision?
Don’t you think issues like unemployment and agrarian distress could impact polls?
Indeed, they would matter. Let me just give an account of my ministry – Food processing – on employment generation. The UPA had sanctioned 42 food parks in 2008 of which just 2 were ready by 2014. In the last five years, we’ve been able to complete 17 of them. While only 5,000 farmers benefitted from food parks by 2014, the number now stands at over one lakh. There were only 37 cold chains by the time UPA demitted office. We, in contrast, have put 135 in place. It shows how NDA did.
Punjab was the front line state during the green revolution yet its farmers today are deep in debt trap!
Access to credit has become easier now. Banks are now chasing people with loan offers. Those who fell victims to lavish lifestyles took useless loans. Besides, the input cost has been rising since many are now dependent on groundwater for irrigation on 75% of the land, which was canal-fed earlier. Additionally, minimum support prices haven’t kept pace with rising input costs.