AAP's Raghav Chadha Waits as Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Faces Scrutiny
The BJP’s organisational rejig may have left Raghav Chadha without a role, but the Rajya Sabha MP remains an interesting piece on the political chessboard. All eyes are now on whether Chadha eventually finds a berth in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’ s Cabinet or turns his attention back to Punjab. His value for AAP is not only political. Chadha was among those who kept track of the party’s funding and organisational affairs. And anyone who knows the funding agencies, channels and organisational architecture of a political party arguably knows rather more than just the balance sheet. That is where the intrigue lies. In politics, one does not necessarily have to do much to make a rival uncomfortable. Sometimes, simply controlling the tap can do the trick. Blocking or tightening the flow of funds can leave an organisation struggling to keep afloat. For now, Chadha waits. And everyone else watches, intently. The political firing around Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appears to be getting dangerously close to the fence of his residence. First, it was his OSD, Rajbir Ghuman, with the Enforcement Directorate writing to the Punjab DGP to book his longtime friend for exerting influence over transfers and postings. Now, the spotlight has moved even closer to the Chief Minister’s family, with the NHRC taking cognisance of allegations that his wife, Dr Gurpreet Kaur, sought Rs 5 crore to suppress a rape case and directing the Chief Secretary and DGP to submit an action taken report within two weeks. Dr Gurpreet Kaur has since served a legal notice on retired Justice Ranjit Singh, who addressed the media, citing a court order in the case. He has denied making a complaint to anyone. And amid the controversy, Mann met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria at Punjab Lok Bhawan on Saturday. The meeting was held without an official briefing, with neither side disclosing what was discussed. The meeting and its discussions are being closely guarded, adding another layer of intrigue to the controversy. With AAP co-incharge and former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain arrested by Delhi Police, the responsibility of reviewing the Bhagwant Mann government’s flagship schemes now rests with another Arvind Kejriwal loyalist, Jasmine Shah. Shah, who has penned a book on AAP national convenor Kejriwal, has been closely associated with the party’s policy and governance initiatives. With Punjab heading for Assembly elections next year and the government rolling out its women’s financial assistance scheme in the run-up to the polls, Shah’s role assumes added significance. He is associated with the Punjab Development Commission, where the AAP government has put together a think tank of domain experts. In the political corridors, Shah is increasingly acquiring a role reminiscent of Amit Shah , the strategist who operates behind the scenes, keeps a close watch on the organisation and political delivery, and helps translate the government’s agenda into electoral strategy. In Punjab, the question is whether Jasmine Shah is emerging as AAP’s own “Shah”. AAP MLA and former minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal decided to step out one night in Ajnala, accompanied by the area DSP, to reassure shopkeepers amid concerns over threats and ransom calls. His message was simple yet loud: ask shopkeepers to keep their shops open, do business without fear, and, if anyone threatens them, call him directly. A confidence-building exercise, perhaps. But the Opposition saw an entirely different picture. Dhaliwal’s nocturnal round was quickly turned into political ammunition, with critics arguing that if an MLA has to patrol the market with a DSP to tell shopkeepers not to shut their shops out of fear, it says rather more about the state of law and order than any official reassurance could. Sometimes, a confidence-building exercise can inadvertently expose the confidence deficit.
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