Regional journal: Punjab power corridors go quiet

Following the arrest of suspended DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar in a corruption case and the recovery of his middleman’s diary and explosive digital trail, a nervous hush has descended over Punjab’s political and bureaucratic elite. Phones are ringing less, meetings are quieter and familiar faces have suddenly gone “out of station”. Over whispered side conversations, one anxious refrain echoes through offices and drawing rooms alike: Kisda naa likheya hoya? Whose name is written?

Punjab Congress ‘forgets’ Indira

Call it a political compulsion due to Panthic agenda riding high in the Taran Taran byelection or selective amnesia, top Punjab Congress leaders (who are otherwise active on their social media handles) forgot to remember the late PM Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary on October 31. Even at the Punjab Congress headquarters in Chandigarh, no event was organised to remember the slain leader. People close to senior leaders claimed it was “genuine forgetfulness”. Later, leaders retweeted the posts of party’s top leader remembering the late PM.

'Kangana, Kangana' in Bathinda

When BJP MP and actor Kangana Ranaut recently walked into the Bathinda court for a defamation case registered against her, the court complex turned into a live fan fest. Mediapersons, cops, advocates and even the court staff just wanted one glimpse of Bollywood’s “Queen”. Some were even seen taking video calls from relatives pleading, “Show Kangana once!” For a while, the courtroom proceedings took a back seat, and the real action was all about Kangana’s star power stealing the spotlight.

AAP’s Tarn Taran candidate worried

The AAP candidate in the Tarn Taran Assembly bypoll, Harmeet Singh Sandhu, is constantly reminding voters not to press the same button on the EVM that they did in the last election. Jokingly, he says, “I used to tell people to press the button with ‘takari’ (scales) symbol of the SAD, but now I’m worried that, out of habit, they might press the same one again.” Sandhu is a three-time MLA from the Tarn Taran seat. He was elected as an independent candidate in 2002. Sandhu was again elected in 2007 and 2012 on the Shiromani Akali Dal ticket.

Ludhiana woman cop on a ride

In Ludhiana, a woman constable recently set social media abuzz when she zipped through traffic on her Activa, with helmet off, phone on and adherence to rules nowhere in sight. The viral video, shot between the court complex and Bhai Wala Chowk, had netizens asking: “Is this a traffic cop or a traffic flop?” The traffic police’s response, too, was quick to follow. A challan was quickly issued to the erring constable.

Main bhi Bihari, says CM Saini

For the second time in the last fortnight, Haryana’s ever-smiling CM Nayab Singh Saini tried to strike a chord with Bihari voters at rallies in the poll-bound state. From lauding Bihari migrants’ contribution to Haryana’s development to Modi government’s ‘pro-Bihar’ initiatives, Saini tried every trick in the hat to woo the voters. A rather hitherto-unknown but surprising revelation was Saini’s off-the-cuff remark — “main bhi Bihari hoon” — a claim, which he asserted, he was entitled to for his “work” in Bihar.

Contributed by Nitin Jain, Rajmeet Singh, Archit Watts, Charanjit Singh Teja, Manav Mander and Pradeep Sharma