The relocation of students from Punjab to Canada in large numbers has now started to backfire on their status in Canada. Who is responsible? The mushrooming of unrecognized colleges in Canada, which provide visa cover letters at huge cost with their selfish motives of money-making.
Polling
Why is there no check by enrolling these colleges in Indian embassies in Canada to avoid potential frauds?
Ashok Baath Rattewal, a retired IPS officer, entered electoral politics from Balachaur on a BJP ticket but managed just 5,566 votes. Despite his administrative background and high-profile career, the ballot box delivered a harsh verdict. This raises a sharper question: Is BJP banking on bureaucratic credentials over political connect in rural Punjab or does Baath Rattewal’s candidature reflect how thin the party’s political bench still is on the ground ?
सेवानिवृत्त आई.पी.एस. अधिकारी अशोक बाठ रत्तेवाल ने बलाचौर से भाजपा टिकट पर चुनावी राजनीति में कदम रखा, लेकिन उन्हें मात्र 5,566 वोट ही मिल सके। प्रशासनिक अनुभव और ऊँची प्रोफाइल के बावजूद, चुनाव में उन्हें करारी हार का सामना करना पड़ा। इससे एक तीखा सवाल खड़ा होता है: क्या भाजपा ग्रामीण पंजाब में जनाधार की कमी को नौकरशाही चेहरों से भरने की कोशिश कर रही है या फिर बाठ रत्तेवाल की उम्मीदवारी जमीन पर पार्टी की कमजोर राजनीतिक पकड़ को उजागर करती है ?
Mohan Lal Behram, a two-time SAD MLA, later contested from Banga as the BJP candidate but managed only 3,974 votes, underlining how thin the party’s presence remains in the constituency. With such a modest showing and BJP still struggling for relevance in rural Punjab, the question going into 2027 becomes sharper: Is Behram a serious face BJP wants to build around in Banga or was his candidature merely symbolic, borrowing from his Akali past without real ground strength ?
