After forcing the Centre to withdraw the three controversial farm laws, victorious farmers have decided to test their luck in the forthcoming Punjab Assembly elections. Twenty-two farm organisations in Punjab announced a political front on Saturday and said they would contest the polls, 2022 to bring in a "political change".
These bodies were among 32 farmer organisations in Punjab which participated in the over-a-year-long protest against the three Central farm laws. However, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which had led the farmers' stir against the laws, clarified that it is not contesting the Assembly elections.
Talking to reporters here, farmer leader Harmeet Singh Kadian said the Samyukt Samaj Morcha has been set up for fighting the Punjab polls due early next year.
The SKM was formed with various bodies having different ideologies and "we returned after fighting a battle after more than a year", he said while referring to the Central laws which were repealed in the recently concluded Winter Session of Parliament.
"The kind of welcome we received in Punjab and the expectations of the people from us has increased," said the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Kadian) leader.
"There is a lot of pressure from the cadre and others on us, and said they if you can win that 'morcha', then you could do something for the betterment of Punjab," Kadian said.
Kadian claimed that three more farm bodies, including the BKU (Dakaunda) and the BKU (Lakhowal), have supported this decision but they are holding their own meetings.
"On the call of the people of Punjab, we brought this 'morcha', which is ready to fight all the 117 (assembly) seats (in the state)," he said.
"We also give an open invitation to other bodies to join us to build a new Punjab," Kadian said.
Balbir Singh Rajewal of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) will be the leader of the Samyukt Samaj Morcha, he said.