Punjab 2024: Farmers protest 2.0, series of setbacks for SAD

Chandigarh: Punjab had a lot going on this year. Farmers launched a fresh agitation, conflicts within Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) culminated in a public spectacle of its leaders atoning for their "mistakes", party leader Sukhbir Singh Badal escaped a bid on his life and AAP suffered a setback in the Lok Sabha polls.

The Lok Sabha election results were notable for more than one reason -- Congress won seven of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in the border state and radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh entered Parliament as an Independent.

While the AAP failed to make an impact in the Lok Sabha polls, the party redeemed itself in the assembly bypolls later in the year, winning three of the four seats that went to polls.

Two years after farmers called off their protest against the now-repealed farm laws, they were back on roads in February to remind the Centre of their unfulfilled demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

Led by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, farmers gathered at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana for a 'Delhi Chalo' march. They were stopped by Haryana security personnel.

A farmer died during clashes between the protesters and Haryana security personnel at Khanauri.

Since February, the farmers have been camping at the two border points and have made several unsuccessful attempts to march towards Delhi.

They rejected a government proposal to buy pulses, maize and cotton crops at MSP for five years. Farmer leader from Punjab Jagjit Singh Dallewal is now on a fast unto death to press the Centre to hold talks with the farmers. Doctors have termed his condition "critical".

In October, Punjab and central governments came under fire from paddy growers for "tardy" procurement of the crop.

Punjab saw several elections this year.

AAP chose to go solo in the Lok Sabha polls, snubbing its INDIA bloc ally Congress.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was confident that AAP would win all 13 seats on the back of his government's performance. "Punjab will become a hero in the country and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, AAP will win 13-0," Mann said.

The results showed otherwise. Congress won seven seats, AAP three and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) one. BJP drew a blank.

Two Independents made a surprise entry into Parliament.

Amritpal Singh, the chief of the 'Waris Punjab De' outfit who is currently lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh jail under the National Security Act, won Khadoor Sahib seat. Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, the son of one of the two assassins of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, won Faridkot constituency.

Singh, who styled himself after slain Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and was arrested in April last year, polled 4,04,430 votes.

The November 20 assembly bypolls gave AAP reason to cheer. The party won three of the four seats that went to polls. The fourth went to Congress.

In July, AAP won Jalandhar West assembly segment.

In a shocking incident in June, actor and BJP MP from Mandi Kangana Ranaut was allegedly slapped by a woman Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable during a security check at the Chandigarh airport. The constable was apparently upset over Ranaut's remarks against farmers during their 2020-21 protest.

BJP veteran Gulab Chand Kataria took oath as the new Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh in July, replacing Banwarilal Purohit, who sparred with the AAP government over various issues like holding assembly sessions and appointments of vice chancellors during his tenure.

This year was especially eventful for the 104-year-old SAD, whose political fortunes have waned over the years. The party witnessed a rebellion and was rebuked by the Akal Takht for "mistakes" committed by its government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.

The Akal Takht, the highest temporal body of Sikhs, declared Sukhbir Singh Badal a 'tankhaiya' (guilty of religious misconduct) and he resigned as SAD president in November.

His leadership came into question as a section of SAD leaders revolted against him, blaming him for the party's debacle in the Lok Sabha polls.

The rebellion was one of the biggest challenges for Badal after the death of SAD patriarch and five-time chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.

After the rebels approached the Akal Takht, Badal and many other leaders underwent religious penance, performing the duty of 'sewadar' (guard), cleaning dishes and washrooms for "mistakes" committed during SAD's rule.

In December, while Badal sat in a wheelchair at the entrance of the Golden Temple on guard duty, a former Khalistani terrorist Narain Singh Chaura fired at him but missed as an alert plainclothes policeman overpowered him.

After being at loggerheads with the Centre for many months, the AAP government finally agreed to change names and remove pictures of Chief Minister Mann from health and wellness centres which were rebranded as 'Aam Aadmi Clinics'. The Centre had withheld Punjab's share of funds under the National Health Mission after objecting to branding of health and wellness centres.

Punjab BJP leaders faced questions after state unit chief Sunil Jakhar skipped key party meetings. Jakhar later said he asked the BJP president to relieve him of his duties after the party's drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls.

Punjab Police faced a major embarrassment after it was revealed that one of the two TV interviews of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi took place while he was in police custody in Mohali's Kharar.

In March, 20 people died in Sangrur after consuming spurious liquor, prompting opposition parties to attack the ruling AAP.