Political battle over credit for Pakhowal Road railway bridge project in Ludhiana.

Ludhiana: As the battle heats up for the Ludhiana West assembly byelection, political parties have scrambled to claim credit for the region's ongoing development, with the railway overbridge/underbridge (ROB/RUB) on Pakhowal Road becoming the latest flashpoint.
The project, conceived and overseen initially by former Punjab minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu of the Congress, was launched under the Smart City Mission. However, it became a political football after Ashu's tenure ended and Aam Aadmi Party's Gurpreet Gogi succeeded him as MLA. Delays ensued under Gogi's leadership, primarily due to prolonged discussions over design modifications and approval processes. Former Ludhiana MP and current Union minister of state for railways, Ravneet Bittu, also attempted to claim responsibility, asserting that the project began during his tenure.
Now, under the guidance of Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora, candidate of Punjab's governing party, the ROB has been opened to two-way traffic from Pakhowal Road to Hero Bakery. While the decision has been met with mixed reactions from residents, it has reignited the political debate surrounding the project.
BJP district president Rajnish Dhiman accused the rivals of credit-taking, pointing out that nearly every development in the West constituency has been funded under the central Smart City Mission. "If funds were misused during Congress' five-year tenure in the state, the AAP govt has only increased the wastage in the past three years," Dhiman alleged. "Instead of delivering essential projects, the state govt is taking credit for those they once criticised."
Shiromani Akali Dal's senior member Ranjit Singh Dhillon also weighed in, arguing that when the Smart City Mission was launched, the focus was on involving local residents before executing projects. "Now, all that is left is a credit game between the governing party and others, while the actual changes remain minimal and concentrated in one constituency," Dhillon said.
Former Congress councillor Mamta Ashu, however, defended her party's efforts, claiming it was their hard work that secured the project for the West constituency. "The ruling party is trying to take credit for a project they failed to complete on time," Ashu said. As the bypoll draws closer, the ROB/RUB continues to be a key symbol of political one-upmanship.
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