Chandigarh, June 18 -- As the clock struck 6 pm on Tuesday, a political crescendo that had gripped Ludhiana West for nearly a month drew to a dramatic close. The curtain fell on the high-stakes campaigning for the June 19 byelection to the Ludhiana West assembly constituency - an election that, though not poised to shift the balance of power in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, is being keenly watched for its symbolic weight in the state's evolving political landscape.
From roadshows and door-to-door canvassing to vision documents and media briefings, the final hours of the campaign were a vibrant, almost theatrical display of political muscle, with top leaders of all major parties - the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), principal opposition Congress, ...