Local bodies elections: Farm laws backfire on BJP in Punjab

Vishav Bharti
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 17

In what is seen as the reflection of the public sentiment against the three farm laws, the BJP could win just 2 per cent of the total wards in the local bodies elections. In seven districts, it even failed open the account.

The saffron party, which was contesting on its own for the first time, suffered its worst-ever electoral defeat in the last 25 years. The party has always contested in alliance with the SAD since 1997.

The BJP managed to win only 49 of the total 2,302 wards. After the Congress, SAD, AAP and Independents, the party finished at the fifth position.

In Amritsar, Bathinda, Barnala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ferozepur, Mansa and Kapurthala, the party could not win even a single ward. In alliance with the SAD, the party used to contest 23 Assembly seats and three Lok Sabha seats in the state. The astonishing result is of Amritsar where the party had a strong presence. It had won the Lok Sabha election thrice as well as several Assembly constituencies in 2012. “With Punjab leading a strong movement against the farm laws and contesting alone, it became a challenging election for the BJP,” said Dr Parmod Kumar, Director, Institute for Development and Communication.

The saffron party could field just 1,003 candidates in a total of 2,302 wards.