Regional buzz: From Sherry’s smart move to Akali bashing

From Parkash Singh Badal projecting himself as a pro-farmer politician to internal bickering in INLD, here is a round up of all that happened in the region:

Capt’s witty side

Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh has a spontaneous sense of humour. Amarinder, who addressed a press conference on Monday, was asked about his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar’s letter to him to join hands in checking flow of Ravi waters into Pakistan. “I have not received any letter. Pehle kabootar laanhi bhejde sege unhe bheja hona ha (They may have used a homing pigeon to carry the letter like in the old days),” the Punjab chief minister said to guffaws before responding to Khattar’s suggestion. On his claim that Mehatpur station house officer (SHO) Parminder Bajwa had spoken to AAP leader Sukhpal Khaira before and after registering an FIR against Hardev Singh Ladi Sherowalia, the Congress candidate for the Shahkot assembly bypoll, a journalist asked the CM how he came to know they had gal-badh (conversation). “I have my sources. Will you disclose your sources,” pat came the repartee from the chief minister, who is never at a loss for words, to pay the scribe back with his own coin. Khaira later accused the Congress government of tapping phones of opposition leaders, a charge denied by the state administration.

Sherry’s smart move

Local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu last week made a smart move when he joined chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh while the latter was addressing a press conference. Sidhu presented the report of a cabinet sub-committee on sand mining policy to the CM, got pictures clicked and left before the press meet got over. The next day all newspapers had pictures of Sidhu along with Capt and ex-CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal who was also present.

Bhattal is back

After having lost her seat in the 2017 assembly poll, former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal was in front of the media at the chief minister’s press conference last week after maintaining a low profile for 14 months. Asked about her absence, she replied, “I am very much here”. Before she could add anything, Amarinder Singh interjected and said, “Bhattal is my sister. I will not let her go anywhere”. Bhattal, who seems set to join other senior leaders for campaign in Shahkot bypoll, had also called Amarinder her rakhi-brother earlier.

Akali bashing is Cong’s favourite pastime

The Congress has been in power in Punjab for 14 months, but continues to blame the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for everything. Forest minister Sadhu Singh Dharmsot, who was in Muktsar on Friday, took a dig at former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Badal, blaming them for terrorism in the 1980s and rise of gangsters during their tenure. If that was not enough, the minister also pointed the finger at the Akalis for the embarrassing Shahkot episode that has been badly bungled by the government. On a question regarding former Mehatpur station house officer Parminder Bajwa, Dharamsot alleged, “Eh SHO nahi bolda ohde vich Akali Dal, Sukhbir te Majithia bolde ne (SHO is doing all this on instructions of SAD, Sikhbir and Majithia)”. Blaming others for your own follies appears to be the Congress strategy for now!

Badal plays the right card

SAD leader and former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal never skips a chance to project himself as a pro-farmer politician. On a trip to villages in his Lambi assembly constituency last week, Badal, while speaking on the Amarinder Singh govt’s debt waiver scheme during an interaction with the media, said he was willing to talk to top brass of the government for the sake of debt-ridden farmers. “Main nange pairi hath jod ke Captain te Randhawa saab kol jan nu tyar ha sare kisana da karja maaf kardio (I am ready to go to chief minister Captain Amrinder Singh and minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa barefoot with hands folded for debt waiver of the farmers),” he said with his trademark humility. Now, it is the Congress leaders’ turn to ask him how much debt of farmers was waived during his 10-year rule.

Sandhu’s selfie stand

Ludhiana mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu, who was accompanying MP Ravneet Singh Bittu for inauguration of development works in the Atam Nagar constituency on Friday, got irked by selfie craze among his supporters. “I will start charging Rs 100 for each photo or selfie. Then, you can take as many selfies as you want,” said Sandhu, sweating in scorching heat, even as his supporters tried to get close to him.

This Sidhu has an ear for music

Punjab IAS officer KBS Sidhu, who heads the department of social security and development of women and children, is active on social media. Sidhu on Sunday posted on his page a short video in which he is seen playing the flute. The video shows him playing the tune of a song from Hindi movie Awara and then giving Sunday greetings. The musical act got him praise for “hidden talent”.

Now, bickering in INLD

Internal bickering is something which national political parties like the Congress and the BJP are accustomed to. But individual centric regional parties, too, are not insulated. Murmurs of disagreement are being heard in Om Prakash Chautala’s Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) over the control of a coterie of rootless leaders who influence decision making. Party workers are apparently unhappy over the importance this self-serving coterie enjoys in shaping the viewpoint of party supremo Chautala. Since Chautala and his elder son, Ajay Singh, cannot contest elections for 11 more years due to their conviction in JBT teachers scam, party workers feel that this coterie needs to make way for young leaders who can work in sync with Chautala’s younger son, Abhay Singh, the obvious candidate for CM’s seat if the INLD is voted to power in 2019. Now many would call it a ploy of rivals to sabotage INLD’s poll prospects. The fact remains that remote controlling a party from the confines of a prison is not doing it any good.

Calm falls on busy Haryana civil sect corridors

The fourth floor of the Haryana civil secretariat, which is a hub of hectic activities at all times, has been dull lately. The reason: chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar is away to Israel and the UK till May 14. He is accompanied by social justice and empowerment minister Krishan Kumar Bedi, MLA Aseem Goyal, chief secretary DS Dhesi and principal officer on special duty (OSD) to CM Neeraj Daftuar. Principal secretary to CM (PSCM) Rajesh Khullar, too, is abroad. Such is the sluggish air enveloping the floor that it sometimes appears as if everyone in the chief minister’s office (CMO) is on leave or travelling abroad.

Jai Ram & his swanky SUV

Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur has not allowed purchase of new vehicles for his cabinet colleagues, but he won’t mind travelling in a new official sports utility vehicle (SUV) himself. The ministers want to replace their Toyota Camrys with SUVs. The CM, who holds the finance portfolio, has put the brakes on their demand, citing financial constraints. However, this has not stopped the general administration department from booking Toyota Fortuner’ new model costing about Rs 36 lakh for the chief minister. Now that’s probably why the CM is called ‘first among equals’.

Water shortage leaves Shimla mayor red-faced

Shimla mayor Kusum Sadrate, seen as a frontrunner for the BJP ticket from the Shimla Lok Sabha constituency, was left red-faced the other day. Sadrate faced the ire of her own councilors over water shortage. Arti Chauhan, councilor from Sanjauli’s Engine Ghar area, walked to her office and demanded her resignation. Not just that. Her demand was endorsed by six other councilors. With less than a year to go for the LS polls, this does not augur well for the mayor.

(Contributed by Navneet Sharma, Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Sarbmeet Singh, Harsimran Singh Batra, Hitender Rao, Rajesh Moudgil, Gaurav Bisht and Ravi K Khajuria)