CHANDIGARH: The Sanyukt Samaj Morcha, a political outfit of several farmer bodies, failed to make an impact in the political space during the 2022 Punjab assembly polls.
Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal-led SSM could not win any seat in Punjab where the AAP appeared set to register a comprehensive victory.
Euphoric over the success of their 'morcha', which continued for over a year at Delhi borders against the Centre's now-repealed three farm laws, several farm groups had decided last December to take the electoral plunge to bring about a "political change."
They fought the February 20 polls in alliance with Haryana Bharatiya Kisan Union (Chaduni) leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni-led Sanyukt Sangharsh Party.
Rajewal, a prominent farmer leader who stood against the farm laws, was the leader of the SSM and shot into limelight following the repeal of the contentious laws.
Rajewal had then said it was due the demand and "enormous pressure" of the people of Punjab that the farmer bodies' decided to enter politics.
Rajewal (79), unsuccessfully contested from Samrala assembly seat.
Despite claims of getting immense support from people on the ground, the SSM appeared to have struggled in the polls.
Moreover, prominent farmer organisations like Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), the largest outfit in the state, and BKU (Dakaunda) did not align with the SSM while two SSM candidates withdrew from contesting the polls claiming lack of support.
SSM's Rampura Phul candidate Jaskaran Singh retired and announced support forthe AAP candidate while Mansa nominee Gurnam Singh too withdrew from the contest.
All the candidates fielded by the SSM filed their nominations as Independents as the SSM could not get itself registered as a political party during filing of nomination papers.
Later, the EC approved 'Sanyukt Samaj Morcha' as name of the political party subject to fulfilling certain conditions for the formal registration.
Though the SSM demanded a common symbol of 'tractor' for its independent candidates, it was allotted 'cot' as the party symbol.
Farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, started protesting at Delhi border points -- Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur -- on November 26, 2020 against the three contentious farm laws.
The laws were repealed by Parliament on November 29, 2021 but farmers continued their protest over their pending demands such as a committee for legal guarantee for MSP and withdrawal of police cases against farmers, among others.
The protest was suspended on December 9 after the government agreed to fulfil the pending demands.