With 28,989 votes (20.23%) in the 2022 Mukerian election, Indu Bala slipped to a distant third, far from her 2019 by-poll win, which many linked to sympathy after the death of her husband and sitting MLA Rajnish Kumar Babbi. Limited visibility and weak ground connect since then have only sharpened doubts. So the real question is, will Congress trust Indu Bala again in Mukerian or is it finally time to look for a new face before 2027 ?
Opinion
A) Congress may still back her for continuity and recall.
B) The 2022 result shows sympathy votes don’t last.
C) Mukerian needs an active face for the 2027 fight.
D) A new candidate may be Congress’s safer bet for 2027.
After being projected as Congress’s CM face in 2022 with the “Sada Channi, Sada CM” campaign, Charanjit Singh Channi suffered a rare setback as a sitting Chief Minister. In Bhadaur, he managed only 26,409 votes, losing heavily to AAP’s Labh Singh Ugoke, while also losing his home seat of Chamkaur Sahib. His 2024 Lok Sabha comeback from Jalandhar has revived his political relevance, and within Congress there is quiet talk of whether Channi could again be projected as a CM option for 2027. But as the party looks ahead, does a parliamentary win erase a state-level rejection or did Punjab already deliver its verdict on Channi as a CM choice ?
2022 में “साडा चन्नी, साडा सी.एम.” अभियान के साथ कांग्रेस के मुख्यमंत्री चेहरे के रूप में पेश किए जाने के बाद, चरणजीत सिंह चन्नी को बतौर मौजूदा मुख्यमंत्री एक दुर्लभ झटका लगा। भदौड़ में उन्हें सिर्फ 26,409 वोट मिले और वह आम आदमी पार्टी के लाभ सिंह उगोके से बुरी तरह हार गए, जबकि अपनी घरेलू सीट चमकौर साहिब भी नहीं बचा सके। 2024 में जालंधर से लोकसभा जीत ने उनकी सियासी मौजूदगी को फिर मजबूत किया है और कांग्रेस के भीतर यह चर्चा भी है कि क्या 2027 के लिए उन्हें फिर से मुख्यमंत्री विकल्प के तौर पर पेश किया जा सकता है। लेकिन सवाल यही है, क्या संसद की जीत राज्य स्तर की हार को मिटा सकती है या पंजाब पहले ही चन्नी को मुख्यमंत्री के तौर पर अपना फैसला सुना चुका है ?
After losing Malerkotla in 2022 by a big margin, 44,262 votes (35.12%) against AAP’s 65,948 votes, Congress leader Razia Sultana never managed to regain momentum on the ground. In 2025, the death of her son further pulled her away from active politics, leaving the constituency without visible leadership from Congress. Now, attention is shifting to her daughter Nishat Akhtar, who is already the constituency in-charge of Malerkotla. As Congress prepares for 2027, the question is no longer about the past, but the future. Will the party stick with an emotional legacy or take a calculated risk with a new face to revive its base ? Will Congress give Nishat Akhtar a chance in Malerkotla or look beyond the Sultana family altogether ?
