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Regional Buzz | Raghav Chadha loses 2 million Insta followers
Chadha, once considered as the blue-eyed boy of Arvind Kejriwal, also reposted a random story on his Instagram profile claiming that if counted collectively, top AAP leaders could not even match his follower count.
Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha lost nearly two million followers on Instagram after he, along with six other members of the upper house of Parliament, severed ties with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP and switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). On the day of announcement on Friday, Chadha had nearly 14.6 million followers, but the number of his followers dropped to 12.7 million on Sunday. Chadha, once considered as the blue-eyed boy of Arvind Kejriwal, also reposted a random story on his Instagram profile claiming that if counted collectively, top AAP leaders could not even match his follower count.
Pathak’s exit baffles AAP leaders
Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha may have led the coup against the AAP, but it is Sandeep Pathak’s exit that seems to have left party leaders in Punjab puzzled. An IIT Delhi associate professor-turned-politician, the low-profile backroom strategist had crafted the party’s campaign blueprint and overseen booth-level planning and management for the 2022 assembly elections. Stunned by his decision to quit AAP, senior party leaders – most of whom knew him personally - appear clueless about the reasons behind his unexpected departure. “Pathak was the go-to person for ground strategy in the elections. We relied a lot on his analysis, data, and insights,” a senior party legislator said, adding that his absence will be felt.
After ‘AAP coup’, Moose Wala song ‘Scapegoat’ gains traction
The song “Scapegoat” by slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala is being widely shared on social media following the recent political developments wherein AAP Rajya Sabha members from Punjab switched their allegiance to the BJP. Released in 2022, it critiques and criticises AAP’s nominations to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab, highlighting leaders such as Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak by seeing them as “outsiders” to the state. The song was released shortly after the AAP announced its Rajya Sabha nominees from Punjab. With the latest political defections, listeners have drawn parallels between the song’s lyrics and the current situation, leading to its reappearance on streaming platforms and social media. At the time of its release, the singer had faced heavy trolling from AAP supporters online. Sidhu Moose Wala’s father, Balkaur Singh Sidhu, also took to X on Friday and wrote a line from the song: “Jo Rajya Sabha hoeya, zimmvar dasso kaun? Hunn mainu loko oey gaddar dasso kaun?” CM Bhagwant Mann has now termed the departing MPs gaddar (traitors).
SAD targets AAP
When the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) cried foul over seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday, the reaction in sections of political circles was not very sympathetic. While the AAP decided to write to Rajya Sabha chairman seeking disqualification of the seven defectors from the upper house of Parliament, its own record of disregarding the anti-defection law in Punjab came back to haunt it. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Daljit Singh Cheema questioned chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s attempt to claim the moral high ground, reminding him how one of its three MLAs defected to the AAP in disregard of legal norms and was subsequently appointed the chairman of a public sector undertaking. The SAD referred to Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi, a two-time MLA from Banga, whom Mann inducted into the AAP on August 14, 2024. However, senior AAP leader and cabinet minister Harpal Cheema said that these seven MPs cannot escape action under the anti-defection law, as it clearly states that any type of split or faction cannot happen in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.
Dynamics to change for AAP in Jalandhar
The exit of educationist Ashok Mittal and former cricketer Harbhajan Singh from the AAP is set to changes the political dynamics in Jalandhar. Once considered close to the AAP top leadership, Mittal was active in local politics through his close aides – industrialist Nitin Kohli, in-charge of Jalandhar Central constituency, and Jalandhar mayor Vaneet Dhir. “There might be some political and professional compulsions behind Ashok Mittal snapping ties with AAP,” said Kohli. While senior AAP leaders claimed that these departures will have minimal impact on electoral politics, many believe the party will assess the roles of leaders associated with the two MPs. Harbhajan was also overseeing the state government’s much-hyped ₹77 crore sports hub project in Jalandhar, which is slated to be completed in August this year.
Brows raised over Punjab RERA composition
The Punjab real estate regulatory authority (RERA) is drawing attention for its unusual composition, with a majority of its leadership drawn from the income tax department rather than the real estate or urban planning domain. Heading the body, is RK Goyal, a retired Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer who served as principal commissioner of income tax before joining Punjab RERA on September 30, 2024. He is joined by BK Singh, a 1991-batch IRS officer who retired as commissioner of income tax in 2024 and is now a member of the authority. Further strengthening this trend, two more former tax officials—Dharamveer, a retired additional commissioner, and Kanhaiya Lal Garg, a former income tax officer—have been appointed on contractual basis to assist the authority. Two members — Arunvir Vashista and Rajinder Singh Rai — come from a judicial background, both having served as judicial officers in Punjab. RERA regulates the real estate sector.
Haryana panel for inspections faces blowback
The Haryana higher education department’s decision to constitute a committee for conducting formal inspections of educational institutions for improving basic amenities and the quality of teaching has come under scrutiny. The committee constituted on April 21 included two members of education minister Mahipal Dhanda’s personal staff - his personal secretary (PS), Karan Singh and personal assistant (PA), Pardeep Jaglan, along with an academician, Satroop Dhanda, a former assistant professor at Chhaju Ram College of Education, Hisar, and a member of the Haryana state higher education council. Dhanda is also an executive member of the Jat Educational Society, Hisar. While the inclusion of an academic like Dhanda in an inspection committee tasked with improving infrastructure and teaching standards appears justified, concerns have been raised about the ability of the minister’s personal staff to meaningfully assess academic quality and institutional performance. Education minister Mahipal Dhanda did not respond to calls and texts in this regard.
‘Tit for tat’ visit
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah last week visited the Nowshera assembly constituency in Jammu, currently represented by deputy chief minister Surinder Chowdhary. During the visit, the CM not only inaugurated several projects, but also criticised former BJP state president Ravinder Raina for allegedly neglecting the constituency. Abdullah further accused the BJP leadership of failing the Jammu region. A few days later, Raina visited Srinagar and hit back at Abdullah and his party, accusing them of failing to fulfil key promises from their election manifesto, especially those related to free electricity and gas cylinders. Raina said he was holding back criticism on a few points out of consideration for being in the CM’s area, warning that he would be more “brutal” in his comments about the CM and his “false promises” in the future.
Jairam takes ‘confused govt’ dig at Sukhu
Former chief minister and leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur recently criticised chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for repeatedly rolling back decisions, saying he is running a government of faisla parivartan (changing decisions) in the name of vyavastha parivartan (systemic change). Calling the government confused, Thakur said decisions taken in the morning are reversed by the evening, and the government frequently issues orders that draw criticism across the state and get withdrawn the very next day. “Who is taking decisions that change from morning to evening? Why is the government reversing its stance repeatedly?” the former CM questioned, adding that from toilet tax and toll tax to closure of hospitals, schools, and other institutions, several such decisions have brought disrepute to the state.
(Contributed by Navrajdeep Singh, Navneet Sharma, Karam Prakash, Hillary Victor, Hitender Rao, Mir Ehsan, Shailee Dogra)
