Punjab has suffered at the hands of economic disruptors for five years now. What started in 2020 as a state-wide protest against the three farm bills brought by the Narendra Modi government metamorphosed into a larger movement, with farmers primarily from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh camping on the borders of Delhi for more than a year. The Centre then decided to withdraw the contentious agriculture bills, which helped disperse the protesters. While normalcy returned to Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, Punjab somehow found itself caught between a rock and a hard place. Farmer unions, ostensibly worried about losing relevance, continued demonstrations against the Modi government at the state level. For about a year now, some farmer unions have blocked the border between Punjab and Haryana, causing tremendous pain to the state’s economy.

After its Delhi loss, AAP is in survival mode. A Punjab defeat in 2027 could relegate it to political obscurity. So when Punjab police came cracking down on protesters at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders on March 19, many were quick to connect the dots. Ahead of a crucial assembly bypoll in Ludhiana West, AAP sought to address the fears of Punjab’s industrialists and traders, who have suffered extensive losses owing to continuing protests.

The prolonged shutdown of key border crossings—Shambhu, Khanauri, and Kundli—has led to an estimated economic setback exceeding Rs 1.25 lakh crore for Punjab and Haryana. The regions adjacent to these borders faced immediate financial damages surpassing Rs 1,600 crore, while Punjab’s businesses alone bore losses north of Rs 1 lakh crore. Therefore, the Aam Aadmi Party stood a fair chance of losing the battle for Ludhiana West even before the........

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