In Budhlada, Dr. Nishan Singh Hakamwala secured 36,591 votes (22.9%) on an Akali Dal ticket in 2022, finishing a clear second but far behind AAP’s landslide victory. Despite a respectable showing, the gap was wide and decisive. So the real question moving toward 2027 is, does Dr. Hakamwala represent a stable Akali vote base in Budhlada or does his result underline how the party is surviving on residual loyalty rather than real momentum on the ground ?
बुढलाडा में 2022 के चुनाव में अकाली दल के उम्मीदवार डॉ. निशान सिंह हाकमवाला को 36,591 वोट (22.9%) मिले और वह दूसरे स्थान पर रहे लेकिन आम आदमी पार्टी की भारी जीत से काफी पीछे। यह प्रदर्शन सम्मानजनक जरूर था लेकिन अंतर साफ और निर्णायक रहा। तो 2027 की ओर बढ़ते हुए असली सवाल यह है, क्या डॉ. हाकमवाला बुढलाडा में अकाली दल के एक स्थिर वोट आधार का प्रतिनिधित्व करते हैं या यह नतीजा दिखाता है कि पार्टी अब ज़मीनी ताक़त की बजाय केवल बची-खुची निष्ठा पर टिकी है ?
Baldev Singh Khaira, the 2017 MLA from Phillaur, contested the 2022 election again but finished second with 35,985 votes (25.90%), narrowly behind Congress and just ahead of AAP. Despite incumbency experience and a known local profile, he failed to reclaim the seat as Akali Dal continued to lose ground across Doaba. So the real question heading into 2027 is, does Baldev Singh Khaira still represent Akali Dal’s best bet in Phillaur or does his inability to convert past incumbency into a comeback signal that the party needs a generational reset here ?
