Considering how Punjab’s debt is spiraling out of control, are all major political parties in the state making any plans to tackle this crisis and acting responsibly?
In 2022, Jalandhar Cantt saw a rare “hockey vs hockey” battle when Surinder Singh Sodhi, former international star, IPS officer, and award-winning sports icon, faced fellow hockey legend Pargat Singh. Despite his towering sporting reputation, Sodhi could not convert fame into votes, showing that medals and memories do not always guarantee political success. Yet high-profile defeats can also become learning moments. As 2027 approaches, the real question is whether Surinder Singh Sodhi’s 2022 loss was only a first political stumble against a strong rival, or proof that sporting glory alone cannot build an electoral base. Is he still AAP’s comeback striker for Jalandhar Cantt, or was the experiment already tested once ?
2022 में जालंधर कैंट ने एक दुर्लभ “हॉकी बनाम हॉकी” मुकाबला देखा, जब पूर्व अंतरराष्ट्रीय स्टार, आई.पी.एस. अधिकारी और सम्मानित खेल हस्ती सुरिंदर सिंह सोढ़ी का सामना दूसरे हॉकी दिग्गज परगट सिंह से हुआ। अपनी बड़ी खेल पहचान के बावजूद, सोढ़ी प्रसिद्धि को वोटों में नहीं बदल सके, जिससे साफ हुआ कि मेडल और पुरानी यादें हमेशा राजनीतिक सफलता की गारंटी नहीं होतीं। फिर भी बड़ी हार कई बार सीख का मौका भी बनती है। 2027 नज़दीक आते हुए असली सवाल यह है कि क्या सुरिंदर सिंह सोढ़ी की 2022 की हार सिर्फ मजबूत प्रतिद्वंद्वी के खिलाफ पहली राजनीतिक ठोकर थी, या यह संकेत था कि खेल की शोहरत अकेले चुनावी आधार नहीं बना सकती। क्या वह अब भी जालंधर कैंट में आम आदमी पार्टी की वापसी के लिए कारगर उम्मीदवार हैं, या यह प्रयोग पहले ही परखा जा चुका है ?
Principal Budh Ram has quietly become one of Aam Aadmi Party’s steadier Punjab faces, winning Budhlada twice in 2017 and 2022 while many others rose and faded with changing political winds. He was even entrusted as the party’s acting Punjab president in 2023, showing organisational confidence beyond just one constituency. Yet in politics, long service can bring both respect and rising expectations. As 2027 approaches, the real question is whether Principal Budh Ram has now grown beyond being only Budhlada’s dependable MLA into a bigger state-level force, or whether he remains useful to the party mainly as a disciplined local winner. Is he AAP’s undervalued senior asset, or a leader kept strong in one seat but limited beyond it ?
