Angry Farmers And Separatist Khalistani Movement May Deprive Modi of India’s Punjab in Elections

Each day, Bloomberg journalists take you across a selection of towns and cities as they gear up for the big vote.

Hello, I’m Akriti Sharma. I work as Bloomberg’s South Asia breaking news reporter in New Delhi. My roots are in the northern Indian city of Amritsar, which means ‘pool of nectar’ and is home to the holiest shrine in Sikh religion, the Golden Temple. Apart from its vibrant culture and food, Amritsar is renowned for a high-pitched, colorful and unique ceremony by guards manning the border with Pakistan. Opening of the Attari-Wagah border for trade with the neighboring nation is now a major election issue. Both Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and main opposition Congress party have promised to restart cross-border shipments through this route. Still, Modi and his party are on a weak footing in the state in the wake of protests by farmers, a major voting bloc, demanding better prices. The recent revival of a separatist movement and allegations of the Modi government’s hand in the overseas assassination of its leader may further worsen BJP’s prospects. Congress party would be hoping to extend its winning run in the state as well as the Amritsar constituency. Punjab is notorious for voting contrary to the national trend.