It is Bajwa versus Mann in Punjab over paddy procurement crisis

New Delhi: The paddy procurement crisis in Punjab has pitched Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa directly against chief minister Bhagwant Mann. 

Bajwa's visit to Punjab’s grain markets in Patiala district and covering key areas like Dhuri, Sangrur, and Barnala to hear the grievances of beleaguered farmers and rice millers since October 20 appears to have not only rattled the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but also woken up the political class from deep slumber. 

Not to be left behind in raising the issue, the BJP leadership swung into action and rushed former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who was in political oblivion for nearly two years, to visit the Khanna grain market. 

The crisis is reminiscent of the similar agrarian situation in Punjab during the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) rule between 1997 and 2002. The crisis resulted in the ouster of the Akali government then. 

Leading from the front, Bajwa has rallied behind the distressed farmers, and made it a national issue. 

His social media is abuzz with interactions that reveal the widespread distress in the agricultural sector and highlights the government’s failure in procurement and management.

Bajwa has been unsparing on chief minister Mann, accusing him of gross neglect and mismanagement that have left farmers struggling to secure even the Minimum Support Price (MSP). “Our farmers are being pushed to despair, compelled into distress sales due to a state machinery that’s either unwilling or unable to respond,” Bajwa said in Dhuri. 

The state’s inadequate storage capacities, failure to achieve the target of procuring 185 lakh metric tonnes, and farmers selling as low as ₹300 below MSP have deepened the crisis.
Bajwa's campaign has visibly gathered national momentum.

Union minister Ravneet Bittu hurriedly gathered a delegation of aarhtiyas (commission agents) for a meeting with the union minister for consumer affairs and public distribution Pralhad Joshi. A press statement issued by Bittu's office later said the commission agents had gathered to thank the central government for reducing the minimum export price from 450 dollars per tonne to zero on non-basmati white rice and finishing the duty of 10% on parboiled normal paddy and brown rice. 

But Bajwa holds the BJP-led central government equally responsible for its perceived lapses and failure to address the issue. He has alleged a nexus between the AAP and the BJP. 

Bajwa claimed that the calculated return on the paddy only underscored the BJP’s motives, calling it an orchestrated move with the AAP to exploit Punjab’s agrarian distress. 

Captain Amarinder Singh’s visit, according to Bajwa, has only deepened suspicions about the BJP’s collusion with the AAP, aimed at destabilising Punjab’s agricultural economy for corporate interests.

Addressing Ravneet Bittu’s claims of central assistance, Bajwa sharply refuted reports of adequate train provisions for transporting paddy stock, calling the narrative a “blame game farce” between the Centre and Punjab. He highlighted rice millers’ grievances, confirming that only two trains were actually dispatched, which he claimed proves the government’s indifference to Punjab’s farmers. He also took a stand against the AAP government’s promotion of hybrid paddy strains like PR-126, which, according to Bajwa, has caused a massive ₹6,000 crore loss for rice millers due to lower yield and lack of storage for unmilled stocks. 

"The endorsement of PR-126 has been reckless and costly,” Bajwa asserted, emphasising that this crisis not only impacts farmers but also threatens the state’s agrarian backbone.

Bajwa publicly challenged CM Mann to either face Punjab’s farmers in the Mandis or resign. 

"If Chief Minister Mann cannot address this crisis personally, he has no moral right to hold office,” he said, insisting that the crisis demands immediate and hands-on intervention.

Beyond the agricultural implications, Bajwa also highlighted the potential impact on Punjab’s social stability, warning that the government’s mismanagement may lead to serious law-and-order issues. He urged swift governmental intervention to address the millers' backlog, to fairly compensate losses, and to implement transparent practices within Punjab’s agricultural economy.

Bajwa’s persistent campaign has galvanised support within the Congress party, which has pledged to stand in solidarity with Punjab’s agrarian community against exploitation.