Mohri, a local farm leader who formed the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) in 2022, says he hopes to instruct the farmers on “the questions to pose to politicians when they come for campaigning” for the October 5 Haryana polls.

The strategy is proving effective. Over the last 10 days, BJP nominees stepping out to campaign have been accosted by several such farmer groups with similar questions. On September 22, Naraingarh candidate Pawan Saini was mobbed, with farmers encircling his cavalcade with tractors when he had gone to the Fatehgarh village in Ambala to seek votes.

Former state Home minister and BJP Ambala Cantt candidate Anil Vij; Assembly Speaker and party’s Panchkula nomee Gian Chand Gupta; Mulana candidate Santosh Sarwan; Kalka candidate Shakti Rani; Guhla nominee Kulwant Bazigar; Tohana’s Devender Singh Babli; Narwana candidate Krishan Bedi; and BJP Hansi candidate Vinod Bhayana (Hansi) have all faced similarly angry crowds.

The farmers attribute their anger to “the treatment” meted out to them during the ‘Dilli Chalo’ agitation called earlier this year over a range of demands, and specifically to the death of one of the protesters, Shubhkaran Singh. To stop the farmers’ movement to Delhi, where they were to hold large-scale protests, the Haryana-Punjab border was sealed. The government headed by Manohar Lal Khattar at the time was accused of using tear gas and pellet guns, and deploying drones to stop the protesting farmers. The police said it had only used tear gas shells and denied the other claims.

Farmer activists claim police authorities in Ambala district warned cancellation of passports and visas of those individuals who were involved in breaking barricades or causing disturbances at the Punjab border during the agitation.

At the Mardon sahib village, which is part of the Mullana seat, farmer activist Navdeep Jalbera says at one “training session” that while the timing was ripe for farmers to “ask questions” and “raise slogans”, they should show restraint. “I know we are upset because of the police action during Dilli Chalo. But we should avoid a confrontation at every cost. Nobody should be hurt. Ask questions from politicians. If that is not possible, raise slogans.”

A farmer named Manjeet Singh says: “If leaders are ready to reply to our questions, then we should ask them questions on MSP, increase in paddy prices, rise in gas cylinder prices.”

These training sessions are also becoming spaces to talk of issues within the community.

At the meeting in Mardon Sahib village, Navdeep Jalbera, who says he spent 111 days in jail in connection with a case related to the 2020-’21 farm agitation, speaks of migration of youth from farming families.

“Discourage our children from migrating abroad. If they want to work, they should work here and stay connected with our roots. They can work here too and earn for a car and a kothi (house).”

Mohri, who has been associated with farm agitation for the past six years, speaks of loans from “arhtiyas (commission agents)”.

‘If you take a loan once, you will be in the debt trap forever,” he says, adding: “We have to only look after the interests of farmers. We will not go on a strike or block the road merely on the provocation of arhtiyas.”

Before concluding the training session, Mohri says “the brotherhood of farmers should be kept intact at any cost”. He also raises a call for a rail roko on October 3 for a legal guarantee for the MSP. The farmers then proceed to eat at the gurudwara’s langer.

With such training sessions propping up in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar and Kaithal districts, farm anger may prove particularly crucial for the BJP. And the Congress realises that.

Addressing a poll meeting in support of Ambala City Congress candidate Nirmal Singh, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said Monday that the Congress would hold talks with farmers if it comes to power.

“How can the farmers be stopped (from going to Delhi)? Hold talks with them. After the formation of the Congress government, my first effort would be the opening of Shambhu border,” he said.

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who is having to deal with anti-incumbency against the BJP, said Wednesday that the BJP was the true hope of farmers. He also reminded that cheques of Rs 2 were given to the farmers as compensation in lieu of the damage to their crops during the Congress rule under Hooda.