The Bhanga Meeting constituency in Punjab’s Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district, which is generally rural reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs), has as soon as once more grow to be a mirror reflecting the state’s altering political loyalties. On the middle of this turmoil is Dr Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi, a two-time Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA and now a distinguished face of the ruling Aam Aadmi Social gathering (AAP) in Punjab’s Doab area.
Sukhi’s journey from physician to politician, whose political roots hint again to Kanshi Ram’s Bahujan Samaj Social gathering (BSP) motion – from BSP to SAD and now to AAP – displays the broader realignment underway in Punjab politics, particularly in Doaba.
The most recent growth got here after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann mentioned that 169 saroops (bodily copies of Guru Granth Sahib) have been discovered at Rasokana Nab Kanwar Raja Sahib Gurdwara in Banga through the investigation into the alleged disappearance of 328 saroops. Shortly after, Sukhhi introduced that he would step down as chairman of Container Warehousing Authority of Punjab (CONWARE).
Sook-hee, who was appointed cabinet-level chairman on February 5, 2025, wrote on Fb that she was “deeply harm” by the controversy and was resigning. He mentioned he had been carefully related to the spiritual place for a few years and claimed that no disrespectful act was ever dedicated there towards any sarroop of Granth Sahib Shri Guru. He additionally referred to as for fact-based options and urged political events to not politicize issues of religion.
Born on December 6, 1960 in Gunachawur village of Nawanshahr district, Sukhi is an otolaryngologist who accomplished her medical diploma from DMC Ludhiana and runs her personal hospital in Nawanshahr. He has been politically energetic since his scholar days. In the course of the Kanshi Ram period, he belonged to the BSP and was the overall secretary of its scholar wing.
election journey
The tehsildar’s father, who’s retired, additionally joined the BSP and contested the Nawanshahr meeting seat in 2002, however misplaced by a slender margin. In 2009, Sukhhi contested the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat on a BSP ticket and garnered over 1.05 billion votes.
Suqi joined SAD in 2012 following disagreements inside the BSP. He was then appointed chairman of the Punjab Planning Fee and received a seat within the Banga meeting in 2017. He continues his medical observe alongside politics.
Regardless of SAD’s worst electoral efficiency, successful solely three out of 117 seats, Sukhi saved Banga in workplace in 2022. He was the one SAD candidate to win from Doaba area, which has 23 seats.
In 2023, SAD fielded him within the Jalandhar Lok Sabha by-election, necessitated by the demise of MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary. Since there isn’t any robust native power in Jalandhar, the social gathering has chosen the present Banga MLA. Nonetheless, Sookhi misplaced to AAP’s Sushil Rinku.
His constant electoral efficiency made him politically worthwhile. In August 2024, he formally joined AAP, a transfer that prompted ripples within the opposition events in Punjab. Though he has submitted his resignation from SAD, it has not but been formally accepted by Parliament, formally that means that he’ll proceed as SAD MLA.
Shortly after becoming a member of AAP, Sook-hee was appointed chairman of CONWARE. The transfer is extensively seen as AAP’s try to strengthen its organizational base in Doaba by bringing in leaders with a clear picture, robust Dalit connections and confirmed grassroots assist.
“Fairly than resigning as CONWARE chairman, Sukhhi ought to have first resigned as an MLA. He ought to have stop as an MLA first as he now not subscribes to the social gathering’s ideology. This can be a main accountability he secured by successful the meeting elections,” mentioned Daljit Singh Cheema, former Punjab training minister and SAD spokesperson, including that chairman Kurtar Singh Sandwan ought to have realized the suo motu and set out. Disqualification process for Sook Hee.
A senior AAP official additionally echoed Cheema’s views on situation of anonymity.
Banga stays a politically advanced constituency. It has roughly 1.64 billion voters and a large Dalit inhabitants. Lack of village-level growth, unemployment, and chronic drug menace dominate public debate within the constituency. The infrastructure venture acquired combined reactions. A newly constructed 3km flyover at Bhanga has eased site visitors for commuters heading in the direction of Chandigarh on the state freeway, however widespread growth considerations stay.
For AAP, Suki is extra than simply an MLA sitting in a reserved seat. He can be a take a look at of whether or not the social gathering can take in leaders from conventional events with out diluting its anti-establishment picture. For SAD, his departure underscores the social gathering’s shrinking affect in Doaba and its battle to retain influential leaders.
As Punjab’s political panorama continues to evolve, all eyes can be on Sukhhi’s subsequent transfer out and in of parliament in a constituency the place voters have repeatedly proven they prioritize people over social gathering labels.
