Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said he will meet President Droupadi Murmu on May 5 in connection with the merger of seven AAP MPs in Rajya Sabha with the BJP.Mann had earlier sought an appointment with the President for a meeting along with party MLAs to demand “recall” of the state’s Rajya Sabha MPs who joined the BJP.“The President has given a time of 12 noon on May 5 (for the meeting) and I will certainly meet her,” Mann said while speaking to reporters here. However, he did not specify whether all MLAs would be part of the delegation.On April 24, the Aam Aadmi Party suffered a jolt when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs — Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney and Swati Maliwal — quit and merged with the BJP.Meanwhile, addressing other issues including paddy cultivation, the Chief Minister said water will be released in upgraded canals from May 1, highlighting that water management becomes particularly important during this period.He said water is being released early, with 21,000 cusecs to be discharged on Wednesday, which will reach people by May 1. He added that the supply would be beneficial for horticulture.The Chief Minister said the state needs water for paddy cultivation and is working to reduce dependence on tubewells by increasing canal usage. He said Rs 6,700 crore has been spent till March 2026 on canals and pipelines.He further said recharge points have been created to raise underground water levels, resulting in an increase of two to four metres. Around 21 lakh cubic metres of water has also been recharged underground.On paddy plantation, Mann said the state has preponed sowing to June 1 and divided Punjab into four zones for a staggered schedule.Direct seeding will take place from May 15 to May 31, with eight hours of water supply. Farmers adopting the puddling method will receive water from June 1. From June 5, Muktsar and Bathinda zones will get eight hours of supply, while Malerkotla, Barnala and SBS Nagar districts will receive water from June 9.Separately, he said 15 Indians have been deported from Australia, of whom 11 are from Punjab, including one woman. Two are from Telangana and one from Haryana.A government team is being sent to receive them, and they are expected to arrive on Wednesday, Mann added.President gives May 5 appointment to meet Punjab Govt; AAP seeks recall of MPs who joined BJPApril 29, 2026 1:42 pmPresident Droupadi Murmu has given an appointment to meet the Punjab Government on May 5 at 12 pm. The Aam Aadmi Party has sought the recall of MPs who switched over to the Bharatiya Janata Party.15 Indians deported from Australia; Punjab accounts for 11 cases: CMApril 29, 2026 1:42 pmChief Minister Bhagwant Mann said 15 Indians have been deported from Australia, of whom 11 are from Punjab, including one woman. Two of the deportees are from Telangana and one from Haryana. He added that a government team is being sent to receive them, and they are expected to arrive on Wednesday.Punjab prepones paddy plantation to June 1, announces zonal water supply scheduleApril 29, 2026 1:42 pmCM Mann said the state has preponed paddy plantation to June 1 and divided Punjab into four zones. Direct seeding will begin from May 15 to May 31, with farmers receiving eight hours of water. Those adopting the puddling method will get water supply from June 1. From June 5 onwards, Muktsar and Bathinda zones will receive eight hours of supply, while Malerkotla, Barnala and SBS Nagar districts will get water from June 9.Punjab boosts groundwater levels with recharge points; 21 lakh cubic metres replenishedApril 29, 2026 1:31 pmChief Minister Bhagwant Mann said recharge points have been created to raise underground water levels, resulting in an increase of two to four metres. He added that around 21 lakh cubic metres of water has been recharged underground.Punjab pushes canal use for paddy, spends Rs 6,700 crore on network: CMApril 29, 2026 1:30 pmCM Mann says the state needs adequate water for paddy cultivation and is working to reduce dependence on tubewells by increasing canal usage. He added that Rs 6,700 crore has been spent till March 2026 on canals and pipelines.21,000 cusecs to be released early: Bhagwant MannApril 29, 2026 1:29 pmCM Mann says water is being released early, with 21,000 cusecs to be discharged on Wednesday, which will reach people by May 1. He added that the supply would be beneficial for horticulture.Punjab to release water in upgraded canals from May 1: CM MannApril 29, 2026 1:25 pmPunjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann says water will be released in upgraded canals from May 1, highlighting that water issues become particularly important during this period.