Farmers form a big chunk of vote-bank in Punjab. Any party that wishes to win polls in the state must have the support of farmers. This time around, the farmers appear to be not too happy with the ruling Akali Dal-BJP combine.

The government’s proposal to set up a power plant in Gobindpura village had run into trouble when farmers refused to part with 100 acres of land. The issue may be encashed by the Congress.

Moreover, infrastructural bottlenecks and sloppy implementation of social schemes may also hurt the ruling party`s popularity.

Another pointer to the gloomy situation was the agitation of potato farmers when they dumped hundreds of quintals of potatoes on roads in various parts of the state, including Jalandhar city and Mohali to protest against the government’s failure to ensure fair price for their produce.

Then in December, hundreds of farmers blocked railway tracks and highways to press for waiver of loans and electricity bills.