Mann’s hockey pitch: World cup for promotions
Addressing Sukhu directly, she stated that while the government announced a special holiday for Karva Chauth, it had failed to clear the pending department dues owed to contractors. A political video campaign shared by the BJP targeted Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu over delayed payments to government contractors. It featured a woman identifying herself as the wife of a local government contractor.
Renominated by the AAP from the Ludhiana West assembly constituency, cabinet minister Sanjeev Arora, currently in jail in connection with a money laundering case, appears elated over the party leadership’s decision. A post on his X account thanked AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and CM Bhagwant Mann for giving him another opportunity to serve the people. The real trouble, however, appears ideological, with the party’s proposed liberal, secular makeover not going down well with its Panthic hardliners. With the house divided, Tarsem Singh has quite a balancing act ahead. The ongoing political tug-of-war between ruling Congress and opposition BJP over Hamirpur medical college has acquired a new exhibit — the original sanction letter displayed on the college campus. CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has seemingly decided to settle the political ownership dispute with BJP MP Anurag Thakur by putting the original sanction letter of Dr Radhakrishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur. The letter issued during the previous Congress-led UPA government has been displayed on the college campus. It seems Sukhu wants visitors to read the history of the institution before listening to competing versions of who deserves the credit. However, Sukhu was generous enough to acknowledge Union health minister JP Nadda for facilitating the expansion and approval of additional PG seats.
With the 2027 assembly elections knocking at the door, Akali Dal Waris Punjab De working president Tarsem Singh, father of jailed MP Amritpal Singh, seems to have his hands full keeping his flock together. On October 29, the party suspended five members of its principal drafting committee for allegedly indulging in anti-party activities.
Their crime, sources said, was opposing the dissolution of the organisational structure.
The venue was elegantly illuminated with chandeliers and floral decoration. During the event, Mann and Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh shared a jovial moment after the latter requested promotions for hockey players from Punjab. Meanwhile, the foreign players enjoyed special delicacies including Japanese, Chinese and Korean cuisines. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal may be busy with poll preparations, but he finds time to indulge in his passion for horticulture. Last week, he stopped at a plant and fruit nursery in Chandigarh to pick up saplings of seasonal flowers. However, it seems politics follows him even into the garden, as he bumped into BJP Punjab vice-president Jasmine Sandhawalia. In half jest, Sukhbir invited her to join the SAD. He even asked an aide to fetch a siropa from his vehicle and offered it to Sandhawalia for a formal induction, which she declined with a smile. Mann pointed out that BJP leader and former cabinet minister Manpreet Singh Badal had not invited him to his daughter’s wedding, even as leaders from different political parties attended and enjoyed the celebrations.
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann held a gala dinner at his official residence in Jalandhar for six international teams participating in the Asian Champions Trophy on October 28. He spent nearly 45 minutes at the nursery, enquiring about exotic fruit varieties. Because of political rivalry, adding that he was not interested in attending anyway, the CM remarked that he was deliberately kept out.
Responding wittily, Mann said “Aap hamein 2030 ka hockey World Cup de do, hum in players to SSP bnaa denge,” drawing laughter from everyone on stage.
Earlier in the day, Sukhbir had inducted Congress’ Raminder Awla into the SAD. In Punjab’s political circles, even wedding invitations can become talking points with chief minister Bhagwant Mann taking a swipe at opposition leaders while addressing a Lok Milni programme at Kamalpura village in Jagraon on Friday.
