Jalalabad was once considered the undisputed political fortress of the Badal family. Yet despite Sukhbir Singh Badal personally campaigning, the Shiromani Akali Dal could win only one ward while the AAP swept the Municipal Council. This raises a bigger question: Is Jalalabad signalling that Sukhbir Badal's political influence is no longer what it once was, or are local body elections too small to measure the strength of a leader preparing for the much bigger battle of 2027 ? Can the Akali Dal still script a statewide comeback if cracks are beginning to appear even in its traditional strongholds ?
जलालाबाद को कभी बादल परिवार का अजेय राजनीतिक गढ़ माना जाता था। लेकिन इस बार खुद सुखबीर सिंह बादल के चुनाव प्रचार के बावजूद शिरोमणि अकाली दल नगर परिषद में सिर्फ़ एक वार्ड जीत सका, जबकि आम आदमी पार्टी ने परिषद पर शानदार जीत दर्ज की। ऐसे में बड़ा सवाल यह है: क्या जलालाबाद यह संकेत दे रहा है कि सुखबीर सिंह बादल का राजनीतिक प्रभाव अब पहले जैसा नहीं रहा, या फिर स्थानीय निकाय चुनाव 2027 की बड़ी चुनावी लड़ाई से पहले किसी नेता की ताकत का सही पैमाना नहीं होते ? अगर पारंपरिक गढ़ों में ही दरारें दिखने लगें, तो क्या अकाली दल पूरे पंजाब में वापसी की पटकथा लिख पाएगा ?
As the Punjab Government announces yet another SIT into the sacrilege cases, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Parambans Singh Romana has accused the AAP Government of politicising one of Punjab's most sensitive issues instead of ensuring justice. Years have passed, Governments have changed and investigations have been reconstituted, yet closure remains elusive. This raises a larger question: Has the sacrilege issue become more about political narratives than delivering justice ? When every election brings fresh promises and every Government forms a new SIT, is Punjab moving closer to the truth, or merely reopening old wounds ?
