Zania-Editor
A recent tour of cities and villages along the Delhi-Ambala stretch of National Highway-1 in Haryana reveals significant concerns, including agrarian distress and discontent with the Agnipath scheme, which recruits youth for four years in the armed forces.
In Karnal and Kurukshetra, the ruling BJP is relying on its development record to win the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections. However, voters are expressing dissatisfaction with the government’s push for digitization through family and property identity certificates. The recent appointment of Nayab Singh Saini as chief minister in place of Manohar Lal Khattar was aimed at addressing this disenchantment, but it hasn’t fully assured voters of a third consecutive term for the party.
Farmers along the highway have voiced their frustrations. “We see development projects; every village has good roads. But the Family Identification and Property ID schemes are problematic,” said Kirsen Kumar, a farmer from Saini’s constituency. The Parivar Pehchan Patra initiative, launched in 2019 to streamline social security benefits for 54 lakh families, has led to confusion. Rajendra Singh Rabari, a farmer from Dyora village, criticized the numerous IDs required and the errors in family IDs, noting a four-month-old child mistakenly listed as earning Rs 4 lakh annually.
Voter sentiment is shifting, with recent Lok Sabha elections showing both the BJP and Congress winning five seats each, indicating a rising trend for Congress, which has been out of power for ten years. Congress performed well in 46 of the 90 assembly segments, positioning itself favorably for the upcoming elections on October 5. The party is looking to capitalize on anti-incumbency sentiments against the BJP and allegations of misgovernance under Khattar, who served nearly a decade as chief minister.
The Agnipath scheme, aimed at short-term recruitment for the armed forces, has become a hot topic in Haryana, where many youths aspire to military careers. Jarnail Singh, a farmer from Mundhri village, expressed concerns about the scheme, questioning what young recruits would do after their four years of service, as fewer youths in his village are choosing military paths.
In response, a senior BJP leader in Karnal defended the Agnipath initiative by referencing Israel’s military successes, claiming that similar programs could benefit India’s armed forces by creating a younger profile. Sunil Goyal, the BJP district general secretary, noted that he cites examples of Israel and the US to promote the benefits of Agnipath.
The agricultural community, known for producing high-quality basmati rice, is also facing economic challenges. Farmers are unhappy with the lack of minimum support prices (MSP) for their crops. Naphe Singh, a farmer from Koul village near Kurukshetra, shared that wholesale markets are offering only Rs 1,700 per quintal, while the MSP is Rs 2,320. Many farmers are delaying their harvests, hoping for better prices.
As Congress campaigns energetically in Haryana, internal divisions among its leaders, such as Kumari Selja and Randeep Singh Surjewala, are becoming evident, posing a challenge for the party’s strategy in the elections.
editor_nz
