Kangana Ranaut, Farm Laws and Haryana Elections

New Delhi

Left red-faced by Bollywood star-turned BJP MP Kangana Ranaut’s pronouncement seeking reinstatement of three controversial farm laws, the BJP was in all-out measures to calm anger among farmers ahead of Haryana Assembly Elections slated for early next month.

Though farmers in the election-bound state had remained largely unmoved by the massive protests seeking a rollback of the laws, the presence of a large number of Jat voters in Haryana is the primary cause of worry for the BJP, which is seeking reelection in the forthcoming polls.

Jats in the state share strong cultural ties with their counterparts in Uttar Pradesh, who had been at the forefront of the agitation.

In a recent statement, Ranaut had sought a reinstatement of the controversial laws that were rolled back after agitating farmers laid siege to the national capital.

This isn’t the first time that the Bollywood star has stirred controversy over the matter. The Congress, the main opposition in Haryana, has condemned the statement and raised it in the midst of a keenly contested campaign for the 90-member assembly.

The BJP is facing prospects of an exodus of Jat voters in the state, and Ranaut’s pronouncement has only added to its woes.

While Ranaut has issued an apology for the statement, the BJP campaign on Haryana is sure to face anger from farmers over her remarks.