Looking at Raj Kumar Chabbewal, his political switch now looks less accidental and more strategic. After moving from Congress to AAP, he not only won the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat with a huge margin, but also turned Chabbewal into an AAP stronghold, delivering big panchayat wins and clearing the path for his son Ishaan Chabbewal to be fielded in the Assembly bypoll. In a state where “turncoats” are often mocked, Chabbewal’s move seems to have secured both power and succession. Is this a rare case where defection strengthened not just personal fortunes but also created a political heir or does it raise an uneasy question about whether electoral loyalty in Punjab is now more family-centric than party-driven ?
राज कुमार चब्बेवाल को देखें तो उनका राजनीतिक दल-बदल अब अचानक नहीं, बल्कि पूरी तरह रणनीतिक लगता है। कांग्रेस से आम आदमी पार्टी में आने के बाद उन्होंने न सिर्फ होशियारपुर लोकसभा सीट भारी अंतर से जीती, बल्कि चब्बेवाल को "आप" का मजबूत गढ़ भी बना दिया। पंचायत चुनावों में बड़ी जीत और फिर अपने बेटे ईशान चब्बेवाल को विधानसभा उपचुनाव के लिए मैदान में उतारना, यह सब एक साफ़ राजनीतिक योजना की ओर इशारा करता है। पंजाब में जहाँ “दल-बदलू” नेताओं का मज़ाक उड़ाया जाता है, वहीं चब्बेवाल का कदम सत्ता के साथ-साथ उत्तराधिकार भी सुरक्षित करता दिखता है। क्या यह एक दुर्लभ उदाहरण है जहाँ पार्टी बदलने से न सिर्फ निजी सियासत मजबूत हुई, बल्कि राजनीतिक वारिस भी तैयार हो गया ? या फिर यह संकेत है कि पंजाब में मतदाता निष्ठा अब दल से ज़्यादा परिवार के इर्द-गिर्द घूमने लगी है ?
Once a powerful two-time Congress MLA from Barnala and the richest candidate in the 2012 Punjab Assembly elections, Kewal Singh Dhillon was once seen as a heavyweight with both money and mandate. His switch to the BJP in 2023 was pitched as a fresh start, but electoral reality has been unforgiving, defeats in the Sangrur Lok Sabha bypoll and the 2024 Barnala Assembly bypoll have raised uncomfortable questions. Now, as Dhillon openly urges senior Congress leaders like Charanjit Singh Channi to join the BJP, the spotlight shifts again. Is he a leader still searching for his own political footing or someone positioning himself as part of a larger BJP expansion plan in Punjab ? After repeated losses, does Dhillon still see himself as an electoral contender or has his role evolved into shaping the board even if he’s no longer winning on it ?
