REGIONALBUZZ
KEEPING TABS ON POWER POLITICS IN PUNJAB, HARYANA, HIMACHAL PRADESH AND JAMMU & KASHMIR
MANPREET & ‘POETIC JUSTICE’
When finance Manpreet Punjab minister Singh Badal announced a reduction in the retirement age of state government employees from 60 to 58, he called a “poetic justice”. As finance minister in the Parkash Singh Badal-led Janata Shiromani Party (SAD-BJP) Akali Dal-Bharatiya government, he had opposed the proposal to increase the age of superannuation to 60. “I had opposed the move in the cabinet meeting at that time. Today, I have reversed the decision that was taken ignoring my opinion,” he said after presenting his budgetary proposals for 2020-21 last week.
MANN’S NEW PLAN TO DUCK QUERIES
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state unit president Bhagwant Mann has found a new way to duck inconvenient questions. At a press conference in Chandigarh on Sunday, Mann was repeatedly asked whether the state leadership is trying to “reconnect” with rebel leaders such as Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Sucha Singh Chhotepur to bring them back into the party fold. But he kept talking about problems such as unemployment and farmer suicides with a straight face each time as if he had not heard or understood the questions. “Mann te Sukhpal, Punjab de issue nahin hain.
Ask me questions about the problems that Punjabis are facing. And, I will answer,” the Sangrur MP said, dodging the queries.
BADAL, DHINDSA & THEIR RALLY CLAIMS
After being friends for years, Rajya Sabha member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal held rallies against each other at a grain market in Sangrur recently. The Badals were the first to organise their show of strength on February 2 and the Dhindsas – Sukhdev Dhindsa and his MLA son Parminder Dhindsa, who have been expelled from the SAD, responded with their counterrally at the same venue on February 23. Both drew big crowds and went back happy. The rebel MP was so pleased with the turnout that he declared that the gathering would bring down the arrogant SAD chief (Sukhbir Singh Badal). After seeing the crowd at the Akali meeting, the nonagenarian former CM, on the other hand, said, “This rally has given a 10-year boost to my life”. However, both groups alleged that crowds to the other side’s public meeting were sent by the ruling Congress.
SUKHBIR-GK BEAR HUG TALK OF THE TOWN
A bear hug between Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal and former president of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara management committee (DSGMC) Manjit Singh GK has become a talking point in the political circles. Both met at the wedding of former union finance minister Arun Jaitley’s son Rohan last week. When Sukhbir was leaving, GK was entering the venue. On coming face to face, both opened their arms and hugged each other. Sukhbir invited GK, who Delhi unit president of the SAD earlier, to his home and GK had accepted the invitation. The invitation is crucial in view of Sukhbir’s announcement that he would bring all aggrieved leaders into the party fold. GK was shunted out of the party and had to resign as DSGMC head last year after he faced allegations of misusing of gudwara body funds.
VALTOHA’S PECULIAR CONNECTION
Addressing a district-level protest rally in Tarn Taran, former Akali MLA Virsa Singh Valtoha talked about kundi connections (an unauthorised connection used to draw electricity illegally). “People keep complaining that their kundi connections have been removed. Did it happen during the Akali government? When you have removed our wire, how can your kundi be still intact? If you want to install kundi connections, you will have to attach kundi with us,” he said, meaning thereby that they (such people) will have to back the party. During the previous Akali government, Valtoha’s constituency was in limelight for electricity theft.
SUPER SHOW: JARNAIL GETS ELEVATION
After its stupendous showing in Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) appointed its Tilak Nagar MLA Jarnail Singh as in-charge of the party unit in Punjab. The three-time MLA has replaced Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia who was made in-charge of the Punjab unit in December 2017, but he rarely visited the state where the party is a pale shadow of its former self. While the state leaders welcomed the new appointment, one of them expressed hope that he (Jarnail) would take more interest than his predecessor. “I promise to deliver and fulfil the expectations of people for a better Punjab with @AAPPunjab Organisation together (sic),” Jarnail tweeted after his appointment, expressing gratitude AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal.
HRY LEADERS’ TABLET BLUES
Being tech savvy is not easy for many, particularly for the elders. And it was on display during the presentation of 2020-21 budget estimates by Haryana chief minister (CM) ML Khattar last week. In a bid to make the assembly functioning paperless, Khattar read out budget address from a tablet device and all the MLAs were given a device each to access the budget speech and other documents. However, a whole lot of MLAs found it more comfortable to read it from the hard copy. Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala, agriculture minister JP Dalal, transport minister Mool Chand Sharma, power minister Ranjit Singh, leader of opposition BS Hooda and Congress leader Kiran Choudhry were among those who put aside the tablet device and preferred reading from the hard copy. Dushyant’s mother Naina Chautala, home minister Anil Vij, minister of state OP Yadav and Anoop Dhanak, and Congress MLA Neeraj Sharma were among the ones who stuck to the online method.
CHAUTALA’S DIG AT SPEAKER
INLD MLA Abhay Singh Chautala can be quite unsparing. Irked at not being allowed to ask supplementary questions and frequently interrupted, the former leader of the opposition turned his attention towards assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta. “I think you feel lonely out there (Aapka maan nahi lagta wahan). Why don’t you come down and join us,’’ said Chautala, indirectly pointing at the ambitions of becoming a minister Gupta harboured.
BUDGET: HOODA TAKES POTSHOTS AT GOVT
Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who is also the leader of opposition in the Vidhan Sabha, vehemently flayed the 2020-21 budget presented by chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar over rising debt. “This budget reminds me of an old Haryanvi saying karj le ke ghee piya to kya piya (it is of no worth to consume ghee on borrowed money),” he said to reporters shortly after the CM completed his budget speech. The state’s debt liability is likely to increase to Rs 1.98 lakh crore.
JAI RAM REMAINS BY NADDA’S SIDE
Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur tried extra hard to please Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Jagat Parkash Nadda when he was on his first visit to the state after taking over the reins of the party. Thakur flew to Chandigarh to receive Nadda and then flew with him to Solan in the state helicopter. Though the budget session of the state assembly was underway, the CM travelled with Nadda to Bilaspur for a civic reception. After attending the wedding reception of Nadda’s son in Bilaspur the next day, he flew with him to Delhi. The CM also skipped the golden jubilee celebrations of the Himachal high court.
BINDAL, A CULINARY EXPERT
Rajeev Bindal, the newly-appointed chief of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Himachal Pradesh, is known for his organisational skills. But not many were aware of the culinary skills of the former assembly speaker. A video is circulating on social media in which Bindal is seen frying ‘puris’ for the community feast at the venue of BJP national president Jagat Parkash Nadda’s rally in Solan. Guess what? He did it quite well.