Didar Singh Bhatti’s political journey has been anything but linear. A rebel Akali MLA from Sirhind, he contested Fatehgarh Sahib in 2012 on the People’s Party of Punjab ticket, returned to the Shiromani Akali Dal soon after, fought the seat again as an Akali candidate in 2017, and switched to the BJP ahead of the 2022 elections, where he became the party’s nominee. Now, as BJP district president of Fatehgarh Sahib, Bhatti finds himself in a different role altogether. As 2027 approaches, is the BJP preparing to convert his organizational position into an electoral bet or does his history of party switches limit his projection as a long-term face ? And in a constituency that has seen repeated realignments, will experience outweigh consistency this time ?
दीदार सिंह भट्टी की राजनीतिक यात्रा कभी सीधी नहीं रही। सरहिंद से बागी अकाली विधायक रहे भट्टी ने 2012 में पीपल्स पार्टी ऑफ पंजाब के टिकट पर फतेहगढ़ साहिब से चुनाव लड़ा, इसके बाद शिरोमणि अकाली दल में लौटे और 2017 में अकाली उम्मीदवार के तौर पर फिर मैदान में उतरे। 2022 के चुनाव से पहले उन्होंने भाजपा जॉइन की और पार्टी के उम्मीदवार बने। अब, फतेहगढ़ साहिब से भाजपा के जिला अध्यक्ष के रूप में भट्टी एक अलग भूमिका में नजर आ रहे हैं। 2027 के चुनाव नज़दीक आते हुए सवाल यह है कि क्या भाजपा उनकी संगठनात्मक भूमिका को चुनावी दांव में बदलने की तैयारी कर रही है या बार-बार दल बदलने का इतिहास उनकी दीर्घकालिक विश्वसनीयता पर सवाल खड़ा करता है ? और जिस सीट ने कई राजनीतिक फेरबदल देखे हैं, क्या इस बार अनुभव निरंतरता पर भारी पड़ेगा ?
With Gurpreet Singh Maluka already serving as BJP’s district president for Bathinda Rural, his role is drawing attention. Son of senior Akali Dal leader Sikandar Singh Maluka, and husband of BJP’s former Lok Sabha candidate Parampal Kaur Sidhu, Maluka now represents a clear political split within one family. While his father has returned to the Akali Dal and spoken of reviving the Akali–BJP alliance, Gurpreet and his wife have firmly chosen the BJP path and rejected Badal leadership. Is the BJP grooming Gurpreet Singh Maluka as its future face in Bathinda Rural or is he being used mainly to tap into legacy networks in a region where the party is still building its base ?
