In Punjab, there are only 598 teachers for over 47,000 students with special needs. As per estimates, among those, only 123 have regular posts. What about the rest and their future?
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In which direction is education for special needs children heading?
Baldev Singh Khaira, the 2017 MLA from Phillaur, contested the 2022 election again but finished second with 35,985 votes (25.90%), narrowly behind Congress and just ahead of AAP. Despite incumbency experience and a known local profile, he failed to reclaim the seat as Akali Dal continued to lose ground across Doaba. So the real question heading into 2027 is, does Baldev Singh Khaira still represent Akali Dal’s best bet in Phillaur or does his inability to convert past incumbency into a comeback signal that the party needs a generational reset here ?
बलदेव सिंह खैरा, जो 2017 में फिल्लौर से विधायक रहे थे, ने 2022 का चुनाव दोबारा लड़ा लेकिन 35,985 मत (25.90%) के साथ दूसरे स्थान पर रहे। वह कांग्रेस से थोड़े पीछे और आम आदमी पार्टी से मामूली आगे रहे। विधायक रहने का अनुभव और स्थानीय पहचान होने के बावजूद, वह सीट वापस नहीं जीत पाए, जबकि दोआबा में अकाली दल का जनाधार लगातार कमजोर होता दिखा। तो 2027 की ओर बढ़ते हुए असली सवाल यह है, क्या बलदेव सिंह खैरा अब भी फिल्लौर में अकाली दल की सबसे मज़बूत पसंद हैं या फिर पूर्व विधायक होने के बावजूद वापसी न कर पाना इस बात का संकेत है कि पार्टी को यहां पीढ़ीगत बदलाव की ज़रूरत है ?
With Dilraj Singh Bhunder having served as MLA since 2017, and carrying the legacy of his father Balwinder Singh Bhunder, expectations of firm local control were natural. Yet, after years in office, voter fatigue and a clear slide in support became hard to miss.
