While many political leaders have said that the PM Narendra Modi led central government has repealed Centre's 3 farm laws owing to the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Goa.
Punjab which is currently witnessing a series of political developments, Shiromani Akali Dal which is one of the parties gearing up for the elections, party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday denied possibilities of allying with BJP after the repeal of controversial three farm laws.
While talking to media, the SAD chief said that he had advised the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in parliament to not introduce the farm laws. He further alleged that the Centre withdrew the farm laws after 700 farmers died during the protests.
The BJP had lost its traditional ally Shiromani Akali Dal following the farm bills' passage in Parliament in September last year and was facing increasing marginalisation in the Sikh-majority state of Punjab.
Its leaders routinely faced protests in the state and, to a lesser extent, in Haryana as well where Jats made a common cause with Sikh farmers against the laws which they alleged will leave them to the mercy of market forces and dismantle government support systems like mandis and Minimum Support Price mechanism, a charge repeatedly denied by the government.
As the campaign for the upcoming assembly polls gathers pace, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to announce the repeal of the three farm laws underlines the ruling BJP's imperative to make amends and infuse a fresh momentum in its political drive.
With the laws now set to be buried, the BJP hopes to recover lost ground in Punjah with its likely new partner Captain Amarinder Singh.
Besides Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur are also headed to the polls early next year but these protests have had little impact in other states.
