According to the data released by the Punjab government, based on the 2011 census and now estimated to have crossed a population of 3 crores, there are over 35 lakh agricultural workers in Punjab, accounting for 35% of the total workforce. The total workforce in Punjab is approximately 97.98 lakh.
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Considering these statistics, do you think there is a need for a new strategy for the development of the agricultural sector in Punjab?
Darbara Singh Guru, once among the most trusted IAS officers of the Badal family and Principal Secretary to Parkash Singh Badal, later entered politics as an administrator-turned-politician. He was the Shiromani Akali Dal candidate from Bassi Pathana in 2017 but lost both the Assembly election and a later Lok Sabha contest from Fatehgarh Sahib. With SAD’s 2022 BSP alliance candidate now in the BJP, and the party’s ground strength weakened, the 2027 question is simple, can the Akali Dal still trust Darbara Singh Guru to revive itself in Bassi Pathana or has the seat moved beyond familiar names and old equations under the current leadership of Sukhbir Singh Badal ?
दरबारा सिंह गुरु, जो कभी बादल परिवार के सबसे भरोसेमंद आई.ए.एस अधिकारियों में गिने जाते थे और प्रकाश सिंह बादल के प्रधान सचिव रहे, सेवानिवृत्ति के बाद राजनीति में आए। वे 2017 में बस्सी पठाना से शिरोमणि अकाली दल के उम्मीदवार थे, लेकिन विधानसभा चुनाव और बाद में फतेहगढ़ साहिब से लोकसभा चुनाव दोनों हार गए। अब, जब 2022 में अकाली दल-बसपा गठबंधन का उम्मीदवार भाजपा में जा चुका है और अकाली दल की ज़मीनी पकड़ कमजोर मानी जा रही है, तो 2027 का सवाल सीधा है, क्या अकाली दल बस्सी पठाना में खुद को दोबारा खड़ा करने के लिए अब भी दरबारा सिंह गुरु पर भरोसा कर सकता है या फिर यह सीट सुखबीर सिंह बादल के नेतृत्व में पुराने चेहरों और पुराने समीकरणों से आगे निकल चुकी है ?
Joginder Singh Jindu, who was Akali Dal MLA from Firozpur Rural in 2012, managed 47,547 votes (31.4%) in the 2022 Assembly election, finishing second but far behind AAP’s massive surge. While the numbers showed he still retained a core base, they also underlined how sharply Akali influence has shrunk in a seat once considered secure. As 2027 approaches, can Joginder Singh Jindu convert this reduced but loyal vote bank into a real comeback or does the gap of nearly 28,000 votes signal that Firozpur Rural has moved beyond the politics of the 2012 era ?
