Is this the price of development? Are bulldozers targeting the right issues?
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Imagine if the government used the same bulldozers they sent to flatten people’s homes to clear out the mountain of “on-paper” schemes that never seem to make it to reality.
Om Parkash Soni has had a long and steady political journey, starting as an independent MLA from Amritsar West in 1997, winning again in 2002, and later continuing his victories with Congress from the same seat in 2007. He shifted to Amritsar Central in 2012 and won again, repeating his success in 2017 with a strong margin. Over the years, he held key roles, including serving as Cabinet Minister and later becoming Deputy Chief Minister in the Charanjit Singh Channi-led Government. However, his loss from Amritsar Central in 2022 has raised questions about his current ground strength. After such a strong winning history, can Om Parkash Soni regain Amritsar Central, or did the 2022 defeat signal a clear shift in voter support ?
ओम प्रकाश सोनी का राजनीतिक सफर लंबा और स्थिर रहा है, उन्होंने 1997 में अमृतसर पश्चिम से एक स्वतंत्र उम्मीदवार के रूप में जीत हासिल की, 2002 में फिर जीते और 2007 में कांग्रेस के टिकट पर उसी सीट से जीत दर्ज की। बाद में 2012 में उन्होंने अमृतसर सेंट्रल से चुनाव लड़ा और जीत हासिल की, जिसे 2017 में बड़े अंतर से दोहराया। अपने करियर के दौरान उन्होंने कैबिनेट मंत्री और बाद में चरणजीत सिंह चन्नी की सरकार में उपमुख्यमंत्री जैसे महत्वपूर्ण पद संभाले। हालांकि, 2022 में अमृतसर सेंट्रल से उनकी हार ने उनकी मौजूदा जमीनी पकड़ पर सवाल खड़े कर दिए हैं। इतनी मजबूत जीत के इतिहास के बाद, क्या ओम प्रकाश सोनी अमृतसर सेंट्रल फिर से जीत सकते हैं, या 2022 की हार ने मतदाताओं के रुझान में साफ बदलाव दिखा दिया है ?
Kulbir Singh Zira has built his political profile as a young and active leader of the Indian National Congress, winning from Zira in 2017 and holding an organisational role as Vice President of Punjab Youth Congress. He is known for his aggressive style and strong visibility on ground issues, has remained a noticeable face in Punjab politics. However, after losing the 2022 Assembly election from Zira and then facing another defeat from Khadoor Sahib in 2024, questions have emerged about both his core stronghold and his ability to expand beyond it. As 2027 approaches, has Kulbir Singh Zira’s political base weakened even in his home turf, or can he still rebuild his ground strength and emerge as a bigger state-level leader despite recent setbacks ?
