Do you believe that tightening punishments for sexual offences, as seen in the recent Tamil Nadu amendments, will effectively deter sexual crimes, or is a stronger focus on enforcement, conviction rates, and preventive measures needed?
Polling
A) Strongly agree – harsher punishments will deter crimes.
B) Agree – punishments alone aren’t enough; enforcement and conviction rates are key.
C) Disagree – harsher punishments will only increase crime severity.
In 2007, the SAD-BJP alliance won 24 of 27 seats in the Panthic belt, 17 for SAD and 7 for BJP. The tally fell to 16 in 2012. In 2017, Congress won 22 seats, while SAD-BJP was left with 3. In 2022, the Aam Aadmi Party won 16 seats. The shift reflects deeper concerns around rural distress, drugs, farm problems, corruption, sacrilege cases and governance. Sikh voters are not a single bloc, while newer Panthic forces have also entered the space once dominated by SAD. If Panthic voters once gave SAD-BJP 24 of 27 seats but later moved to Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, has Punjab’s Panthic politics lost its political home ?
2007 में शिरोमणि अकाली दल–भाजपा गठबंधन ने पंथिक क्षेत्र की 27 में से 24 सीटें जीतीं, शिरोमणि अकाली दल ने 17 और 7 भाजपा ने। 2012 में यह आंकड़ा घटकर 16 रह गया। 2017 में कांग्रेस ने 22 सीटें जीतीं, जबकि शिरोमणि अकाली दल–भाजपा गठबंधन सिर्फ 3 सीटों पर रह गया। 2022 में आम आदमी पार्टी ने 16 सीटें जीतीं। यह बदलाव ग्रामीण संकट, नशे, खेती की समस्याओं, भ्रष्टाचार, बेअदबी के मामलों और शासन से जुड़े मुद्दों को दर्शाता है। सिख मतदाता एकजुट वोट बैंक नहीं हैं और शिरोमणि अकाली दल के पुराने राजनीतिक क्षेत्र में नए पंथिक दल भी जगह बना रहे हैं। अगर पंथिक मतदाताओं ने कभी शिरोमणि अकाली दल–भाजपा को 27 में से 24 सीटें दी थीं, लेकिन बाद में कांग्रेस और आम आदमी पार्टी की ओर चले गए, तो क्या पंजाब की पंथिक राजनीति ने अपना राजनीतिक घर खो दिया है ?
Sukhbir Singh Badal has repeatedly targeted Waris Punjab De, with much of the focus now falling on its leader Manpreet Singh Ayali. Ayali says the group draws strength from rural Punjab and youth, and that any alliance decision will be guided by the Sangat. For now, he has ruled out an alliance with the BJP. But with BJP and SAD also being linked to possible alliance talks, another political calculation enters the picture: Could a future BJP–Waris Punjab De understanding change the Akali vote equation and make the faction even harder for Sukhbir Singh Badal to ignore ?
