
2 officials from Bhagwant Mann's media team resign
Two officials from Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's media team have resigned from their posts, with sources claiming they did so due to 'family commitments'. Adil Azmi, the media advisor to Mann, and Ayushi Saraswat, the senior media relations manager, put in their papers on Tuesday.
A source close to Azmi said that he had proceeded on a sabbatical. 'He has family reasons to take some time off. He will be away till December. He may get back to work after that,' he said.
Another source said that Saraswat also had a family commitment. 'She needed to take time off for pressing family reasons. Hence, she has also proceeded on a sabbatical,' the source explained.
In October last year, the Punjab government had removed Onkar Singh, Mann's close aide, from his post as officer on special duty to the chief minister. A few days later, Navneet Wadhwa, Mann's director of communications, was asked to submit his resignation.
At the time, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sources had termed the development 'Operation Cleanup' after party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal's return from Tihar jail.
Later, two of Kejriwal's aides, Baltej Singh Pannu and Manpreet Kaur, both directors of communication, were removed from the chief minister's office.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


News18
an hour ago
- News18
What Is The 'Delhi Classroom Construction Scam'? News18 Accesses ED Probe Details
Last Updated: According to ED, the scandal involves significant financial irregularities and alleged corruption in the construction of additional classrooms in government schools under AAP The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday raided multiple premises in the national capital as part of a money laundering probe into the 'classroom construction scam" that is alleged to have taken place during the previous Aam Aadmi Party government, official sources said. CNN-News18 has obtained details from the Enforcement Directorate's investigation. According to the agency, the scandal involves significant financial irregularities and alleged corruption in the construction of additional classrooms in government schools during the Aam Aadmi Party's tenure in the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) from 2015-16 to 2022-23. The initiative, initially aimed at upgrading educational infrastructure, encompassed two major projects classified as Priority-1 and Priority-2, which focused on improving the student-to-classroom ratio in existing school premises. 'Unfortunately, the implementation of these projects was marred by inflated costs, procedural lapses, and the misuse of public funds," the findings say. Although the project aimed to enhance public education facilities, the construction costs reportedly far exceeded standard government benchmarks and were even likened to the expenses of building luxury establishments. 'The scam underscores overestimations in project valuations, manipulation of tendering processes, bypassing General Financial Rules, and awarding contracts at inflated rates, indicative of systematic abuse of power," say the findings. The ED had booked Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and former ministers in the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government, in its April 30 FIR, where it was alleged that financial irregularities to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore in the construction of over 12,000 classrooms or semi-permanent structures in Delhi government schools were carried out. First Published: June 18, 2025, 17:39 IST


Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
AAP's entry could clutter Bihar's poll fray, split Opp votes in direct face-off
Ousted from power in Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), that was a constituent of the INDIA bloc in 2024 Lok Sabha elections, has announced to field candidates on all the 243 seats in Bihar and hopes to cash in on by raising the issues of 'BJP's failed promises to migrant Biharis, who constitute a significant number in Delhi'. The announcement came from AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh in Patna, but it remains to be seen if AAP would really go all the way, as it had backed out of election at the last moment in 2020 citing Covid and other factors and has never contested the state polls even at the peak of its popularity in Delhi. 'We will go to all the villages of Bihar and tell the people about the reality of the BJP, which had promised houses in place of jhuggis before Delhi election to migrant Biharis living there for 50 years, and is now demolishing their dwellings. We will present our model to the people of Bihar and field candidates on all 243 seats to seek their support,' he added. The only time AAP contested in Bihar was in 2014, when it fielded candidates on 39 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats, but could win none. In 2015, it did not contest, but lent its support to the anti-BJP alliance. In 2019, its seat-sharing talks with the RJD and the Congress collapsed. In 2020, it again did not contest despite making an early announcement. This time it wants to go solo in Bihar, highlighting the plight of the migrants in Delhi under the BJP government, which came to power in Delhi last year ending the long run of AAP. Political analysts feel that the entry of AAP in Bihar as an independent player could be an attempt to win over the Poorvanchalis, who are set to have deserted it after throwing their weight completely behind Arvind Kejriwal's party in 2015 and 2020, but hurt the cause of the INDIA bloc more than the NDA, as the presence of Jan Suraaj Party and the AIMIM of Assauddin Owaisi would only make the election multipolar to suit the BJP strategy. 'While the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the INDIA bloc are the major formations face to face in the forthcoming Bihar assembly election 2025 yet again, with margin of error likely to be small, the emergence of too many players apart from the two main formations would make the scene cluttered and confuse the voters to some extent, but in a multi-party democracy like ours it is not uncommon,' said former professor of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences Pushpendra. He, however, said that with seat-sharing yet to be formalised in the two main formations, and pulls and pressure likely to intensify in the days to come, there was still time for the political climate to settle, which could throw a new alliance at the last moment. 'In politics, nothing can be ruled out, as a lot happens as part of the strategy to get one's arithmetic right even against odds,' he added. Political analyst Prof NK Choudhary said that the entry of AAP could be an important factor, as Jan Suraaj Party is already there to challenge the dominance of the mainstream parties like the BJP, JD-U, RJD and the Congress, but it would not be easy to fit into Bihar's complex political reality guided by caste and region. 'For AAP, the move is clearly aimed at winning over the Bihar migrants in Delhi through their homes in Bihar, but everything does not happen the way one plans in politics, especially in Bihar. AIMIM has also made its intentions clear to field more candidates than in 2020, when it won five seats for the first time. More formations can take place in the days to come. But it will not be the merrier, as big players will have to watch out against small aberrations,' he added. Political reactions to AAP's entry have been on the predictable lines, with the Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar describing the move as an 'attempt to split votes to help the BJP'. Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said that Bihar was different from Delhi. BJP, on the other hand, brushed aside AAP's foray into Bihar. 'Bihar people wiped out AAP from Delhi and they are a spent force now. Bihar does not look beyond the development model of the NDA government. The way the Centre is pouring funds in Bihar, development has been fast tracked and jobs are being provided in a big way. People will once again not look beyond NDA,' said Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha.


Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Ludhiana West bypoll: Prestige at stake for AAP, Congress
The Ludhiana West bypoll on Thursday will be a litmus test for the ruling AAP as it seeks to maintain its hold over Punjab, while the Congress looks to regain its foothold over the urban constituency which it held for six times in the past. While the main contest is between the AAP and Congress, the bypoll outcome will also shed light on how the BJP performs among urban voters in Punjab. The bypoll is also going to be a test of the leadership of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal as his party looks to resurrect itself after a series of crushing electoral losses. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like San Juan Unsold Cars In 2024 Are Almost Donated. See Price SUV Deals | Search Ads Search Now Undo Polling for the Ludhiana West bypoll will be held from 7 am till 6 pm on June 19 and the counting will be held on June 23. The Ludhiana West assembly seat fell vacant following the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in January. Live Events There are a total of 14 candidates in the fray for the by-election. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party has fielded Rajya Sabha member Sanjeev Arora for the bypoll. Arora (61) is a Ludhiana-based industrialist and is also known for his social welfare work. He runs the Krishna Pran Breast Cancer Charitable Trust. Arora has been a member of the Rajya Sabha since 2022. The opposition Congress has placed its bet on former minister and Punjab Congress working president Bharat Bhushan Ashu (51). Ashu served as MLA twice from this seat in 2012 and 2017. He was defeated by Gogi by a margin of 7,512 votes in the 2022 Punjab assembly polls. Ashu was food and civil supplies minister in the previous Congress regime. The BJP has field senior leader Jiwan Gupta. He is a member of the core committee of Punjab BJP. He was earlier the party's state general secretary. The SAD named Parupkar Singh Ghuman as its candidate for the bypoll. Ghuman is a lawyer and the former president of Ludhiana bar association. The Ludhiana West bypoll is seen as a litmus test for Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the ruling party's national leadership which aggressively campaigned to retain this seat. The bypoll is important as its outcome will throw light on the popularity of the AAP regime's policies and programmes among urban voters in the constituency. In November last year, the AAP had won three out of four assembly bypolls. Prior to that the party had party faced a drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls in which it could win only three of 13 parliamentary constituencies. The AAP leadership urged voters to vote for Arora with party supremo Arvind Kejriwal announcing that the AAP candidate will be made the cabinet minister if he is elected in the bypoll. Mann described the election as a battle between "humility" and "arrogance" while highlighting that Arora represents "simplicity" while the Congress nominee is known for "arrogance." Kejriwal lauded Arora for his philanthropic efforts and assured the public that with Arora's election, Ludhiana West would witness "unparalleled development." Stakes are also high for the Congress as it would want to wrest the seat, which it had won six times in the past. Punjab Congress leaders, including party's general secretary in-charge Punjab and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, former Chief Minister and MP Charanjit Singh Channi, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Amritsar MP Gurjit Singh Aujla, MLAs Rana Gurjit Singh, and Pargat Singh campaigned for Ashu. While Ashu reminded voters of the previous record of development in the constituency, he said that his electoral fight was not against Arora, but Kejriwal, who was allegedly fighting for his own backdoor entry to Rajya Sabha from Punjab. Prestige is at stake for the BJP in the bypoll as well. Leaders, including Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Ravneet Singh Bittu, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, BJP leader Tarun Chugh, canvassed for Gupta. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, BJP's Ravneet Singh Bittu had led from the Ludhiana West assembly segment, which is part of the Ludhiana parliamentary seat. However, he lost to Congress nominee Amrinder Singh Raja Warring. In the 117-member Punjab assembly, the AAP has 94 legislators, the Congress has 16 MLAs, Shiromani Akali Dal has three, BJP two, and the Bahujan Samaj Party one. One seat is held by an Independent. Campaigning for the high-stakes by-election ended on Tuesday evening. A total of 1,75,469 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise, 85,371 of them women and 10 of third gender. There will be a total of 194 polling stations for the bypoll and 100 percent live webcasting of polling stations, officials said. The voting process will be monitored in real-time from the integrated command control centre located at the district administrative complex. As many as 235 CCTV cameras have been installed at polling stations, said officials. Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer Himanshu Jain said all necessary arrangements have been made for the bypoll and appealed to voters to come out in large numbers to exercise their right to vote on Thursday. The DEO said the Election Commission has allowed use of electoral photo identity card and 12 alternative identity documents like passport, driving license, PAN card for voters to cast their votes.