Balwan Poonia
{{Short description|Indian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Balwan Poonia
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| image =
| alt = Official portrait c. 2020
| caption = Balwan Poonia is an Indian politician and farmer activist
| constituency1 = Bhadra
| office = MLA, Rajasthan Legislative Assembly
| predecessor1 = Sanjeev Beniwal
| successor1 =
| term_start1 = 2018
| term_end1 = 2023
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| party = Communist Party of India (Marxist)
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| residence = Bhadra, Rajasthan
| profession = Politician and Agriculture
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| occupation = Farmer Activist, Agriculturist
| portfolio = Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), Bhadra (Rajasthan) & Joint Secretary Kisan Sabha Rajasthan.
| website =
}}
Balwan Poonia is an Indian politician and farmer activist from Bhadra, Rajasthan. He is also an elected member of the 15th Rajasthan Legislative Assembly representing Bhadra constituency as a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Political career
Poonia is the Joint Secretary of the Rajasthan unit of the All India Kisan Sabha and has been at the forefront of farmers' agitations in the state.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}} He has been involved in fights for lower electricity rates, fairer prices for crops, debt relief, investments in irrigation, as well as insurance and pensions for farmers. In 2018, Poonia led a 58-day fight against the excessive interest charged by State Bank of India to farmers in Chain Bari village in Hanumangarh district. The struggle culminated with Rs. 16,52,000 being refunded to farmers. In the 2018 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election, Poonia was one of two elected CPI (M) candidates on the strength of farmer mobilization.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}} He won the Bhadra constituency defeating incumbent BJP MLA Sanjeev Kumar by over 23,000 votes.{{cite news|title=Kisan Leaders Balwan Poonia, Giridharlal Mahiya Storm Into Rajasthan Assembly
|url=https://www.newsclick.in/kisan-leaders-balwan-poonia-giridharlal-mahiya-storm-rajasthan-assembly|publisher=Newsclick.in|author=Shilpa Shaji|date=12 December 2018}}{{cite news|title=CPM cashes in on farmers' fury, wins two seats in Rajasthan|url=https://english.manoramaonline.com/in-depth/assembly-elections-2018/2018/12/11/cpm-wins-two-seats-in-rajasthan.html|publisher=Manorama|date= 12 December 2018 | accessdate=11 July 2019}}
Poonia ran in the 2019 Indian General elections as the CPI (M) candidate for the Churu Lok Sabha constituency.{{cite news|title= भादरा विधायक बलवान पूनिया होंगे चूरू में माकपा के प्रत्याशी|url=https://www.bhaskar.com/rajasthan/churu/news/rajasthan-news-bhadra-mla-balwan-poonia-will-be-cpi-m-candidate-in-churu-080112-4282949.html|publisher=Dainik Bhaskar|date = 6 April 2019}} Poonia finished a distant third with 1.89% of the vote behind the BJP winner, Rahul Kaswan, who won with nearly 60%, and INC's Rafique Mandelia, who got 34.5% of the vote.{{cite news|url=https://www.news18.com/lok-sabha-elections-2019/rajasthan/churu-election-result-s20p03/|title= CHURU RESULT LIVE|publisher=News18.com|accessdate=April 6, 2020}}
In 2020, the CPI(M) suspended its MLA Balwan Poonia from the party for a year.{{cite news |title=माकपा ने विधायक बलवान पूनिया को एक साल के लिए पार्टी से निलंबित किया, राज्यसभा चुनाव में पार्टी का निर्णय नहीं माना था |trans-title=CPI(M) suspended MLA Balwan Poonia from the party for one year, he did not accept the party's decision in Rajya Sabha elections |url=https://www.bhaskar.com/local/rajasthan/news/rajasthan-cpm-mla-balwan-poonia-suspended-by-communist-party-of-india-marxist-127435684.html |access-date=10 August 2021 |work=Bhaskar |agency=Bhaskar |publisher=Bhaskar}} The party has taken suspension action for breaking discipline. CPI(M) state secretary Amraram gave this information. He said that this decision was taken in the meeting of the State Secretariat. Amraram told that party discipline was broken by Poonia in the Rajya Sabha elections, in which he has been held guilty of acting contrary to the decision of the party. Due to this, it has been decided to suspend Balwan Poonia's party membership for one year. Along with this, show cause notice was also given to Balwan Poonia.
Farmer activism
He said the governor should apprise the Centre of the sentiments of farmers from Rajasthan.{{cite news |title=Rajasthan: CPM MLA Balwan Poonia raises slogan in support of farmers in the state assembly |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/city/jaipur/rajasthan-cpm-mla-balwan-poonia-raises-slogan-in-support-of-farmers-in-the-state-assembly/videoshow/80828888.cms |access-date=10 August 2021 |work=Times of India |agency=Times of India }}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Twitter|balwanpoonia_}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Poonia, Balwan}}
Category:People from Hanumangarh district
Category:Rajasthan MLAs 2018–2023
Category:Communist Party of India (Marxist) politicians from Rajasthan
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)