WHAT IS KEJRIWAL UP TO?

The crackdown on the farmers' protest by the Punjab government has to have had AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal's backing.

- Priya Sahgal

This is also a move that could not have been carried out without taking the BJP led Central government on board. So why this turnaround? The obvious reason of course could be the ED pressure and threat of another jail term that is hanging over Kejriwal's head. The other reason too has got to do with Kejriwal's political survival, but it is linked to his quest for a Rajya Sabha seat.

Having declared the candidature of Sanjeev Arora, the sitting Rajya Sabha MP from AAP, for the Ludhiana Assembly bypoll, the buzz is that should Arora win, Kejriwal will take his seat in the Rajya Sabha.

However, the business and trader community of that constituency has made it known to the AAP government in Punjab that the farmers' protests were blocking key highways and were not good for business.

This crackdown could be a move to appease the crucial vote bank in Ludhiana. Moreover, if you look at the larger picture, Punjab elections are due in 2027. It is the last bastion of power left to the AAP. Given the kind of anti-incumbency Bhagwant Mann is facing, it is unlikely that the AAP will win a majority on its own.