Punjab has more than 20 thousand registered factories where around 8 lakh workers called blue-collar workers are employed, which is less than even 3.3% of the population of Punjab that has regular jobs.
The BJP did not contest the Budhlada Assembly seat in 2022, reflecting its limited confidence on the ground in this Malwa constituency. Now, with former Budhlada MLA Mangat Rai Bansal, who won the seat in 2007 on a Congress ticket, joining the BJP in 2024 and being appointed constituency incharge, the party appears to be testing old electoral muscle in a new uniform. So the real question heading into 2027 is - Will the BJP finally take the risk of contesting Budhlada by trusting Mangat Rai Bansal as its face or will his Congress past and the party’s weak base keep Budhlada outside BJP’s serious electoral plans ?
भाजपा ने 2022 में बुढलाडा विधानसभा सीट से चुनाव नहीं लड़ा था, जो इस मालवा क्षेत्र में उसकी सीमित ज़मीनी पकड़ को दिखाता है। अब 2007 में कांग्रेस के टिकट पर बुढलाडा से विधायक रह चुके मंगत राय बंसल के 2024 में भाजपा में शामिल होने और उन्हें हलका इंचार्ज बनाए जाने के बाद, पार्टी पुराने राजनीतिक अनुभव को नए रंग में आज़माती दिख रही है। तो 2027 से पहले असली सवाल यह है, क्या भाजपा बुढलाडा में पहली बार गंभीर चुनावी कोशिश करते हुए मंगत राय बंसल पर भरोसा करेगी या फिर उनका कांग्रेस अतीत और पार्टी की कमज़ोर ज़मीनी स्थिति बुढलाडा को भाजपा की पहुंच से बाहर ही रखेगी ?
Avinash Chander has been an MLA twice, winning from Kartarpur (2007–2012) and Phillaur (2012–2017) on an Akali Dal ticket before switching to the BJP in 2022. He is now part of the BJP’s Punjab core committee, even as the party continues to struggle for relevance in Doaba and skipped contesting Phillaur in recent cycles. So the real question for 2027 is, will the BJP finally trust Avinash Chander with a Phillaur ticket to test its own strength on the ground or will the Phillaur seat remain out of BJP's reach ?
