More than 21 million voters will cast their ballots in India's Punjab state on Sunday in polls that are regarded as a barometer of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party's popularity before general elections in 2024.
Pitched against Mr Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the incumbent Congress Party and the regional Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is seeking to consolidate its political dominance through the election.
The AAP was formed in 2013 to eliminate corruption and has ruled the capital territory of Delhi for two consecutive terms.
On a recent afternoon, Harbhajan Singh, one of the party's candidates from the Jandiala constituency, sat on top of a car during door-to-door campaigning.
A band of young men followed him on motorbikes waving flags brandishing the party symbol – a broom to sweep out corruption.
Mr Singh stopped near a public park and talked to his supporters about chipping away at the entrenched political system.
The BJP implemented controversial farm laws in September 2020 using its executive powers and without any consultation in Parliament. The legislation was met with some of the fiercest protests in India in recent years.
Mr Modi's administration billed them as necessary reforms, but farmers feared the laws signalled the government was moving away from a system in which they sold their harvest only in government-sanctioned marketplaces.
They worried this would leave them poorer and at the mercy of private corporations.
The laws triggered a year of protests as angry farmers – most of them Sikhs from Punjab state – camped on the outskirts of New Delhi through a harsh winter and coronavirus pandemic.
In a major reversal, Mr Modi withdrew the laws a year later, three months before the crucial polls in Punjab and four other states.
BJP has a small presence in Punjab but hopes to form a government there with a regional ally and strengthen its voter base among farmers, one of the largest blocs in India.
Punjab, where people are deeply proud of their state's cultural and religious tapestry, also represents a test for Mr Modi's party's Hindu nationalist reach, which has flourished in most of northern India since 2014.
The BJP is running its campaign by trying to portray the Congress government as corrupt.
It is also making grand promises to create more jobs, provide farm subsidies and free electricity for farmers, and eradicate the drug problem that has afflicted the state for years.
Analysts said the moves are intended to placate the farmers, and that the elections were a major reason behind Mr Modi's sudden decision to withdraw the laws.
Bitterness after protest crackdown
That anger, however, runs deep.
More than 700 farmers died during the protests as they weathered harsh cold, record rainfall and sweltering heat, according to Samyukt Kisan Morcha, or the United Farmers Front, the umbrella group of farm unions that organised the agitation. Dozens also died by suicide.
But in December last year, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told Parliament that his government had no record of the farmers' deaths.
This caused widespread anger among the families of the deceased, many of whom are small or landless farmers who constitute the lowest rung of India's farming community.
"Where did those 700 to 750 people go then? The Modi government is responsible for that," said Amarjeet Singh, choking back tears in his family home in Kaler Ghuman village, about 40 kilometres from Amritsar, the state's capital.
Mr Singh's father, Sudagar Singh, died on a hot September afternoon from a sudden heart attack, according to his death certificate.
At the time of his death, he was accompanied by his friend Charan Singh, the village head, who said the 72-year-old collapsed while returning home after spending weeks at the protests.
Scarred by the death, Sudagar Singh's younger brother fell into depression, the family said. He stopped eating and working on his farm. Three months later, he died.
Another farmer, Kulwant Singh, died in an accident during the farmers' protest.
"I could never imagine this," said Balwinder Kaur, Kulwant Singh's wife.
In some cases, the Punjab government has announced jobs and funds for the families of the deceased, but farmers said the elections are an opportunity to turn their anger into meaningful change.
At its peak, the protest drew support from Punjab's rural and urban populations.
Now, those protests find very little resonance among city voters who say the farmers' issues should take a back seat since the laws have been withdrawn.
The election results will be announced on March 10.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
The five pillars of Islam
Opening day UAE Premiership fixtures, Friday, September 22:
- Dubai Sports City Eagles v Dubai Exiles
- Dubai Hurricanes v Abu Dhabi Saracens
- Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE