Punjab Assembly elections: State of promises

People, and political parties themselves, usually do not take manifestos released in the run-up to elections seriously. But this time around in Punjab, political parties are trying to woo voters by making tall promises — many of them difficult to fulfil — through manifestos.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) started the trend of trying to grab eyeballs with a series of manifestos in Punjab; it released at least half-a-dozen manifestos for various sections of society, from farmer manifesto to trader manifestos, from youth manifesto to industry manifesto.

Both the Congress and the AAP described their manifestos as legal documents; with the latter, going a step ahead, said their promises are sacrosanct — they will be kept.

Both parties have promised farm loan waiver if they form the government in Punjab. But they have not shared a clear road map on how they would waive off farm loan in the state which stands at Rs 70,000 crore. 

Predictably, but perhaps correctly, the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has said the promise is an election gimmick as it is not easy for the state government to waive off farm loans.

Another AAP document is the “youth manifesto” which promises 25 lakh jobs in five years, free Wi-Fi hotspots in villages and a new law to jail drug dealers for life. The assets of such convicts would be seized and auctioned.

The AAP’s manifesto also says it would root out “mafia raj” from government contracts. No members of Parliament (MPs), members of legislative Assembly (MLAs), ministers and their relatives would be eligible for government contracts. The state’s youth will be preferred in giving such contracts.

The party that started out in Delhi and is now hoping to gain a foothold in the border state grappling with a high number of drug users, says that if voted
to power, it would “annihilate” the drug supply chain within a month of forming government.

The Punjab Opioid Dependency Survey, conducted by the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, All India Institute Of Medical Science, says the largest number of drug users in Punjab come from the economically weaker sections.

Even the Congress’ manifesto promises to end drug trade within a month of coming to power, apart from giving Rs 2,500 per month to unemployed youth, free smartphones and free textbooks to children. 

The Congress is also promising to create at least 25 lakh jobs in Punjab in the next five years. It talks about bringing an industrial policy within 90 days of coming to power, ending “VIP culture”, bringing sweeping economic reforms and ensuring transparency in governance.

The SAD-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance, as also Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, seeking a third term in Punjab, has not released any manifesto.

Among Mr Badal’s populist measures was the “atta-dal scheme” — a kind of food programme launched in 2007 under which the Punjab government gave wheat at Rs 1 per kg and pulses at Rs 20 per kg to some 30 lakh “blue card” (ration card) holders. 

But the ruling alliance faces new challenges as people’s aspirations have changed — the middle class wants job and education schemes too, programmes that will help in creating wealth.

Apart from the SAD, the Congress has been the other major party in the state. In the years before 2007, the SAD and the Congress held power in Punjab alternatively. The last time the Congress ruled Punjab was from 2002 to 2007 when Captain Amarinder Singh was the chief minister.

In 2007, the Congress lost to the SAD. Five years later, in the 2012 Assembly elections, the Shiromani Akali Dal once again defeated the Congress — ending the “trend” that no government won consecutively in Punjab.

The Congress in 2017 faces a new contender, the AAP, which is fighting the Punjab polls for the first time. The entrant’s aggressive campaigns against SAD have made it a potent force in the Malwa belt, a stronghold of the Akalis so far.

The Malwa belt is a region in Punjab south of the Satluj river which has some major districts such as Ludhiana and Patiala.

What ails Punjab

Drug addiction

• Punjab Opioid Dependence Survey, conducted between February and April 2015, found 230,000 people were drug users
• That is, 836 drug users per 1 lakh people in the state
• All-India number is 250 per 1 lakh people, as per ministry of social justice and empowerment
• Names of some Akali leaders came up during probe into drug trafficking

Unemployment

• Cartelisation of businesses by Akalis is said to have worsened unemployment
• At least 72% of job seekers are educated, as per the National Sample Survey Office; this chunk is giving jitters to the policymakers in Punjab
• Decelerating growth rate across sectors further aggravates the problem

Farm crisis

• Once known for Green Revolution, farm productivity has seen consistent decline
• Size of farm holdings across Punjab have also seen a fall
• Despite assured purchase of crops in Punjab (wheat, paddy and cotton), farmers are neck deep in debt
• Estimated farm debt in Punjab is at least Rs 70,000 crore