Akali Dal ‘Waris Punjab De’ is trying to broaden its political appeal by focusing on issues such as drugs and governance, while the politics around Khalistan remains a major fault line within the wider constituency associated with the outfit. The recent four-day stint and exit of former ED official Niranjan Singh has brought that tension back into focus. Can ‘Waris Punjab De’ broaden its 2027 appeal without allowing the Khalistan debate to overshadow its pitch on drugs, governance and Punjab’s wider political issues ?
अकाली दल ‘वारिस पंजाब दे’ नशे और शासन जैसे मुद्दों पर ध्यान देकर अपना राजनीतिक आधार बढ़ाने की कोशिश कर रहा है, जबकि इससे जुड़े व्यापक समर्थन आधार में खालिस्तान का मुद्दा अब भी एक अहम विभाजन रेखा बना हुआ है। पूर्व ई.डी. अधिकारी निरंजन सिंह का पार्टी में चार दिन रहकर बाहर निकलना इस तनाव को फिर चर्चा में ले आया है। क्या ‘वारिस पंजाब दे’ 2027 में अपना राजनीतिक आधार बढ़ा सकता है, बिना इस बात के कि खालिस्तान की बहस नशे, शासन और पंजाब के व्यापक मुद्दों पर उसके राजनीतिक संदेश को पीछे छोड़ दे ?
Sukhbir Singh Badal has faced a string of setbacks: he lost Jalalabad in the 2022 Assembly election, while the Shiromani Akali Dal was reduced to just three seats. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the party won only one of Punjab’s 13 seats, followed by an internal revolt that openly questioned Sukhbir’s leadership. Now, with Sukhbir Singh Badal leading the party’s “Punjab Bachao” campaign and preparing for 2027, is this his last major opportunity to turn repeated electoral defeats into a political comeback and re-establish himself at the centre of Punjab politics ?
