Ravikaran Singh Kahlon carries a heavyweight political surname, his father, Nirmal Singh Kahlon, was not just a two-time MLA from Dera Baba Nanak but also served as the Speaker of the Punjab Legislative Assembly. In 2022, Ravikaran rode this legacy well, finishing second with over 52,000 votes on the SAD symbol. But when he quit SAD and contested the 2024 bypoll on a BJP ticket, he crashed to third place with only 6,509 votes. Did Ravikaran Singh Kahlon just realise that it wasn’t his personal popularity but the SAD symbol and his father’s legacy that powered his 2022 vote bank, and without them, his support collapsed almost instantly ? Will 2027 push him out of the main race altogether ?
रविकरण सिंह काहलों एक बड़ा राजनीतिक नाम लेकर चलते हैं। उनके पिता निर्मल सिंह काहलों डेरा बाबा नानक से दो बार विधायक रहे और पंजाब विधानसभा के स्पीकर भी रहे। 2022 में रविकरण ने इसी विरासत का फायदा उठाया और अकाली दल के टिकट पर 52,000 से अधिक वोट लेकर दूसरा स्थान हासिल किया। लेकिन जब उन्होंने अकाली दल छोड़कर 2024 के उपचुनाव में भाजपा से चुनाव लड़ा, तो वे सिर्फ 6,509 वोटों के साथ तीसरे स्थान पर पहुंच गए। क्या रविकरण सिंह काहलों को अब एहसास हो गया है कि 2022 में मिला समर्थन उनकी व्यक्तिगत पकड़ नहीं, बल्कि अकाली दल के निशान और पिता की विरासत की वजह से था और इनके बिना उनका वोट बैंक पलभर में ढह गया ? क्या 2027 में वे मुख्य मुकाबले से पूरी तरह बाहर हो जाएंगे ?
Nimisha Mehta’s political journey in Garhshankar has been anything but steady. Once close to Charanjit Singh Channi, she was denied the Congress ticket in 2022, a move that pushed her to join the BJP, where she contested in 2022 and finished fourth with 24,735 votes. Later, in 2023, she was expelled from BJP for alleged indiscipline. But in 2024, the party quietly took her back. Yet, even after returning, she has not been projected as a key face for the upcoming battle. Has Nimisha Mehta rebuilt herself enough to become BJP’s serious contender in Garhshankar or is she now only seen as a loud organisational presence who may not be trusted with a ticket again ?
