Congress looks to revive its Punjab fortunes by riding piggyback on land pooling policy anger

Speaking to The Indian Express, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, party MLA and chairman of All India Kisan Congress, said that the introduction of the policy is being opposed tooth and nail by the party leadership by holding dharnas across the state. He said the Congress will ensure that this scheme never fructifies.

“The Congress leadership in Punjab is one on this issue. The interests of the farmers and that of Punjab have to be protected. Electoral gains are not the focus for us when we oppose this policy. We do so because Punjab is an agrarian state. We cannot allow the Delhi leadership of AAP, aided and abetted by a weak Punjab leadership, to hijack state’s precious land,” said Khaira.

The policy has sparked significant controversy and widespread opposition, particularly among farmers and rural communities. This policy, aimed at acquiring over 65,000 acres of land across 21 cities and towns for urban and industrial development, has been met with protests, tractor marches, and resolutions from village panchayats, creating a fertile ground for political maneuvering.

Under the policy, landowners are supposed to voluntarily pool their land and receive developed residential and commercial plots in return, with the government promising up to a 400 per cent return on investment and annual compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre (later doubled to Rs 1 lakh) until development begins. The policy also allows small landholders to club their land to meet the minimum threshold for receiving commercial and residential plots, a tweak made in July in response to initial backlash.

Despite the government’s claims of transparency and voluntary participation, the policy has been criticized as a “land-grabbing scheme” by farmers, opposition parties, and even some AAP insiders.

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has been spearheading the protests against the policy and holding dharnas at district headquarters. Warring says the policy was in clear violation of the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 enacted by the UPA government in 2013 when Dr Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister. “The AAP government is taking farmers’ land without any compensation adding that this will not be allowed to happen at any cost ,” he said.

All senior Congress leaders have spoken in one voice against this policy. Leader of Opposition, Partap Bajwa, who is currently touring Australia and New Zealand, has been raising the drawbacks of this policy among the diaspora.

“We are determined to force the government to withdraw the notification regarding the controversial land pooling policy fully. The AAP government is now planning to stagger the acquisition process under its policy, confining it to areas surrounding major cities, such as Ludhiana, Patiala, and Mohali, at least for now. This action by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann unmistakably signals a retreat. Since the outset, the AAP government has faced unwavering and intense opposition from farmers and the Punjab Congress. The entry of the AAP leaders has been banned in some villages,” he said in a post on X.

Punjab’s economy and culture are deeply tied to agriculture, and farmers form a significant vote bank. By positioning itself as a defender of farmers’ rights, the Congress is tapping into this emotional and economic constituency. Also, the policy has caused visible cracks within AAP, with leaders like Jodhan block president Tapinder Singh Grewal resigning and MP Malvinder Singh Kang briefly criticizing the policy before retracting his statement under pressure. The Congress has used these instances to highlight AAP’s internal contradictions, with leaders like Sukhpal Singh Khaira accusing AAP of silencing dissent.

The Congress has also aligned with the broader narrative of protecting Punjab’s identity, as articulated by farmer leaders like Jagdev Singh, who emphasize that the policy threatens Punjab’s cultural and agrarian heritage. This resonates with a wide section of Punjab’s populace, including non-farmers.

The policy’s opposition has brought together diverse groups, including farmer unions, environmentalists, and other political parties like SAD and BJP. Congress has tactically supported these protests, with leaders like Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal participating in tractor marches organized by BKU (Doaba). This coalition-building helps Congress project itself as a unifying force against AAP’s policies.