Vaninder Kaur Loomba’s political journey in Shutrana did not begin in defeat. As an Akali Dal MLA in 2012, she built her base the hard way, through organisation and local presence. A decade later, the 2022 result went heavily in AAP’s favour, but waves pass and recall often returns. With Shutrana now entering a phase where performance will matter more than slogans, does Loomba’s experience and ground connect still give her an edge as 2027 approaches ? And could voters once again turn to a tested local face over a party-heavy narrative ?
शुतराना में वरिंदर कौर लूम्बा की राजनीतिक यात्रा हार से शुरू नहीं हुई थी। 2012 में अकाली दल की विधायक के रूप में उन्होंने संगठन और ज़मीनी मौजूदगी के दम पर अपनी पहचान बनाई। एक दशक बाद 2022 में नतीजा पूरी तरह ‘आप’ के पक्ष में चला गया, लेकिन राजनीतिक लहरें स्थायी नहीं होतीं और मतदाता की याददाश्त अक्सर लौट आती है। अब जब शुतराना ऐसे दौर में प्रवेश कर रहा है जहाँ नारे नहीं, बल्कि प्रदर्शन अहम होगा, तो क्या लूम्बा का अनुभव और ज़मीनी जुड़ाव 2027 में उन्हें फिर बढ़त दिला सकता है ? और क्या मतदाता एक बार फिर पार्टी-प्रधान कहानी से हटकर किसी परखे हुए स्थानीय चेहरे की ओर लौटेंगे ?
In the 2022 Assembly elections from Jaitu, Manjit Singh (Suba Singh Badal), son of former cabinet minister Gurudev Singh Badal, finished a distant second as the Shiromani Akali Dal once again failed to regain the seat. Since then, attention has shifted within the family itself: Suba Singh’s son Lalli Badal has won the latest local body elections from Panjgrain, sparking talk of a possible generational handover. As Akali Dal looks toward 2027, does it continue with Suba Singh’s experience and legacy or take a chance on Lalli Badal’s fresh grassroots mandate ? And in a constituency where results have repeatedly disappointed, is sticking with the familiar face a sign of stability or stagnation ?