Decode Politics: As farmer protests continue, how have they changed equations for Punjab parties

The renewed farmers’ protest demanding a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) has made political parties alter their strategies, especially with the Lok Sabha elections just round the corner.

The idea of the protest, which was called by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), an umbrella organisation of over 100 farmer unions, and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), originated in Punjab, where as of now the four main political parties — the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, BJP and Akali Dal (SAD) — are all separately in the poll race.

The AAP in Punjab is trying to project itself as the party that is the “friend of the farmers”, with its Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann playing mediator in the Centre-farmer talks. The Congress, with nothing to lose and having had an amicable parting with the AAP at least in Punjab, has also lent support to the farmers’ demands, with its leaders visiting farmers injured in the protests. The BJP, which is in power at both the Centre and in Haryana (that has been using strongarm tactics to keep farmers from their plan of marching to Delhi) is doing its bit to ensure the farmers are not totally alienated from the party. It’s the Akalis, who are struggling to revive the party, who seem to be the most affected, with their “Punjab Bachao Yatra” on the backburner due to the protests and the prospects of an alliance with old partner BJP now bleak.

The lucky break for ruling AAP

The AAP government in Punjab has had its share of run-ins with farmers over a host of issues, and the Centre turning to Mann to act as mediator is clearly a god sent for the party. Some believe the AAP is trying to distract attention from its own problems vis-a-vis the farmers via the ongoing protest. But party