Keeping tabs on power politics in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and J&K
Manpreet turns counsellor for Bathinda babus
Finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal last week gave an advice to officials of Bathinda district. At a meeting at the municipal corporation office, he asked all newly elected 42 Congress councillors and husbands of several women councillors to introduce themselves to the officials. Directing the district authorities to follow the directions of new mayor and councillors, Manpreet, who is MLA from Bathinda assembly segment, said the Constitution grants special power to the elected representatives to run public institutions. “Tuhanu ehna (councillors) de thalle lag ke chalna paina hai. Nahin te kanoon badal deyo,” he said.
Jakhar’s barb at AAP
Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar, who never misses any opportunity to take swipe at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), had a free bit of advice for the party leaders who are looking for CM face on whom “every Punjabi will feel proud”. Calling it a “headless wonder” in the state, Jakhar said they are still trying to find a leader. “I want to tell (Delhi chief minister and AAP national convener Arvind) Kejriwal why don’t you put on OLX or social media – wanted a good Punjabi candidate for the party’s CM face,” he said to this newspaper last week. He said the party does not believe in its leadership, asking it what is wrong with (AAP state unit chief and MP) Bhagwant Mann and (leader of opposition) Harpal Singh Cheema.
Manna guns for Sidhu
Cricketer-turned-politician and Congress MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu’s one-time aide and former party colleague Mandeep Singh Manna is becoming a headache for him. On Friday, a team of Vigilance Bureau went to Amritsar Improvement Trust’s office to collect record of the period when Sidhu was the local bodies minister. The VB officials’ visit followed the Amritsar East MLA’s attacks on chief minister (CM) Capt Amarinder Singh. Manna, who regularly posts videos on social media with his Facebook page having over 2.5 likes, confronted the VB team, questioning them why they did not take any action against the former minister.
Later, Manna, in his trademark style, posted a video of raid, alleging that the CM sends his officers to try and “frighten” Sidhu. “When CM promises Sidhu any key post, he turns silent,” claimed the local leader who often trains his guns at the ex-minister.
Public vs private: Vij’s shifting stance
Haryana health minister Anil Vij was miffed with people in the grip of virus for preferring private hospitals. His grouse was why people were roaming around big private hospitals even as they had limited resources. The minister was throwing such pearls of wisdom to arrest and address the anxieties of people about reports that hospitals were battling scarcity of medical oxygen and shortage of beds. He assured them that the health department had enough resources to fight the pandemic. But what he was preaching public, Vij himself could not practice. When the virus had attacked him, the minister opted for sarkari hospitals and when his condition became critical, he was rushed to a private hospital in Gurugram. CM Manohar Lal Khattar and speaker Gian Chand Gupta and several other politicians also went to the private hospital for treatment.
Finally, a shot in the arm for Dushyant, Vij
Haryana deputy CM Dushyant Chautala and health minister Anil Vij got their vaccine shots this week. The health minister who got infected with coronavirus after he got a vaccine trial jab last year initially did not opt for a vaccine shot citing enough antibodies. However, better sense prevailed on him. Dushyant almost triggered a controversy when he got vaccinated a couple of days back. The deputy CM who is less than 45 and could not have registered for the shot was accommodated as a frontline worker. The youngster, too, got infected with the virus last year and has been cocky about beating the infection.
When Vikramaditya backed Jai Ram
Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur had drawn flak from the opposition Congress over his move to hire a helicopter from a Russian firm. The state government is using a six-seater chopper and signed a MOU with the Russian company for a 24-seater flying machine. Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri and Himachal Congress chief Kuldeep Rathore hit out at Thakur for such extravagance during the pandemic. However, Shimla Rural legislator Vikramaditya justified the government move, calling it the need of the hour for exigencies. The Congress MLA’s statement left his party colleagues red-faced. It’s an open secret that Thakur shares a good rapport with Vikramaditya’s father – former chief minister Virbhadra Singh.