New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi's announcement to withdraw three agricultural laws ahead of assembly elections in five states will give the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a new strength to its electoral prospects and give new strength to its campaign. In fact, in September last year, the Modi government at the Centre passed the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Simplification) Act, agriculture (empowerment and protection) by enacting the Ashwasand Krishi Seva Agreement Act and the Essential Commodities Amendment Act, 2020, despite stiff opposition from opposition parties.

Since then, protests against these laws had started in different parts of the country, especially in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, and the farmers of these states came to different borders of Delhi. The resentment of farmers in these three states and the agitation that had been going on for nearly a year had become a big problem for the BJP. Uttar Pradesh is very important for the BJP in the five states where the assembly is scheduled to be held early next year. In the last election, the saffron party had won 312 of the 403 seats in the state and formed the government with a huge majority.

Western Uttar Pradesh seemed to be hampered by the influence of agricultural laws in the BJP's efforts to return to power in the state. The Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal had formed an alliance in view of the growing resentment among the Jats against the BJP. The situation in the region seemed to be extremely challenging for the BJP. Now the repeal of the three laws has raised hopes among BJP leaders that the decision will help it regain its mass base in jat-dominated western Uttar Pradesh.

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