CHANDIGARH: The confusion among Punjab farmer unions leaders whether to plunge into politics continues as a meeting of representatives of 32 farm unions in the state failed to produce any concrete decision. However, in neighbouring Haryana, president of the Haryana Bhartiya Kisan Union, Gurnam Singh Charuni, on Saturday, December 18, 2021, floated a political outfit — Sanyukt Sangharsh Party — saying it will contest the next year’s Punjab Assembly polls.
Charuni said: “We are launching the Sanyukt Sangharsh Party and will contest the Punjab polls. Our objective will be to purify politics and bring good people forward.’’Slamming political leaders, he said they framed policies in favour of capitalists while ignoring the interests of the poor. He said that the Sanyukt Sangharsh Party will be a secular one and would work for the welfare of all sections of society. Charuni, however, said he would not fight the polls.
Sources said during the meeting here on Saturday, Punjab farmer unions leaders were divided over contesting the upcoming elections by forming their own party or joining some political party. Also, there was no unanimity whether they should support a particular political party in the elections.
“Different leaders had different views on the issue and heated discussions took as they could not reach a common platform. Hence, it was decided to hold another meeting on either December 21 or 22 to further the discussions,” said a senior farmer leader on the condition of anonymity.
The sources said it was decided that the farm leaders will meet Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on December 20 and they are still waiting formal invitation letter from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).“In the meeting with Channi we will raise the issue of waiving debts to the tune of `1.25 lakh crore also 18 other demands,” said Harinder Singh Lakhowal General Secretary of BKU (Lakhowal).