Punjab is a border state and elections are being held here on June 1. The world will know only on June 4 whether Narendra Modi will again take oath as the Prime Minister for the third time - which no doubt will be a great achievement - or if someone else will lead the country. But elections in Punjab are not like the elections in the rest of the country.

If in other parts of India there is a straight fight between the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the INDIA bloc, in Punjab, both these formations are non-existent. In Delhi and other states, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress are contesting as one entity, campaigning for each other, doing road shows and rallies together. But in Punjab, both parties are fighting bitterly and have left no stone unturned to defeat the other.

On the other side of the political spectrum, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), old allies which contested as NDA constituents in 2014 and 2019, are fighting separately. Their alliance fell apart due to the farmers' agitation. Farmers are still on the warpath and opposing BJP candidates in various constituencies. The BJP, this time, is contesting all 13 seats alone, whereas the Akali Dal, which had been one of the principal parties for decades, is now fighting for its survival and trying to reclaim lost ground. The four-cornered contest has made the Punjab election not only interesting but also unique.

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