India, Feb. 16 -- The return of Arvind Khanna to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is more than a routine party switch. In Punjab's fluid political landscape, such movements often signal deeper undercurrents - ideological repositioning, cadre dissatisfaction, and early groundwork for future electoral battles.

Khanna's political journey itself mirrors Punjab's shifting alliances. A former Congress MLA from Dhuri and later vice-president of the Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he had contested recent elections from Sangrur but failed to convert candidature into victory. His return to the Akali fold - which he calls a "homecoming" - suggests both strategic recalibration and recognition of political realities on the ground.

A tw...