There was a time when AAP workers queued up for a glimpse of Raghav Chadha, then among the party’s most influential faces. Fast forward to 2026, and the BJP leader is drawing a very different reception. Arriving in Amritsar for the party’s anti-drug campaign, Chadha found former party colleagues waiting outside his hotel, not to greet him but to protest against him. He quietly avoided the confrontation by slipping out through the back exit.
Mann’s humour harvest
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was in vintage form at a recent kisan mela. Puzzled over frequent farmer protests, he joked that whenever he met agitating farmers, they would simply demand a meeting with him. Urging unions to skip dharnas and come directly to him, Mann capped his speech with a trademark one-liner: “I am your friendly bug, but you people keep spraying on me too.”
Sukhbir’s 2-constituency buzz
Whenever SAD chief Sukhbir Badal visits Gidderbaha, the constituency represented for nine terms by his father Parkash Singh Badal and cousin Manpreet Badal, he drops hints about contesting the next Assembly election from there. During a September 14 visit, he said, “This constituency is my responsibility. There is no need to ask.” Drawing parallels with his former seat Jalalabad, he said he would file his nomination there and return only for a rally on the last day of campaign. When workers pressed him on Gidderbaha, Sukhbir quipped, “People know I keep my word.”
Made in Mansa, used at BRICS
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping planted banyan saplings at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 12 during the BRICS summit, the shovels they used had an unlikely Punjab connection. They were crafted at a small workshop in Bareta town, Mansa district, known for its agricultural implements. Craftsman Gurnam Singh said he initially did not know who had placed the order. Though he eventually learnt the significance of the order, he could not make it to the ceremony as work kept him occupied.
PM’s soap model as b’day tribute
A businessman and hobby artiste from Raman Mandi in Bathinda, Rampal Behniwal (64), made a bust of Prime Minister Narendra Modi using 15 kg of detergent and bath soap to mark the BJP stalwart’s 76th birthday. Behniwal spent over two months preparing soap paste and then used it to shape the bust over an aluminium wire mesh. He had earlier made a soap model of Mahatma Gandhi in 2005. He next plans to make a soap model of the PM seated on a sofa.
Sukhu’s Parwanoo jibe at BJP
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has been taking repeated jibes at the state BJP leadership over its “failure” to raise Himachal Pradesh’s demands before PM Narendra Modi. “Inke Parwanoo ke niche to zubaan nahi chalti hai. I wonder why people vote for such MPs,” he said in response to the BJP’s claim over the Kishau Dam MoU. He also challenged Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur to list his achievements.
Himachal CM’s court crusades
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu makes no secret of his willingness to hire top legal guns to take on the Centre. Defending the engagement of senior advocates such as P Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal, Sukhu recently remarked that spending a crore or two was a small price if it helped Himachal secure Rs 500 crore from the BBMB. The BJP, however, is keen to know the bill and has sought details through Assembly questions.
Turban war heats up
Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini’s turbaned appearances in poll-bound Punjab have triggered a political slugfest. INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala called him a “behrupia sardar”, while Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann suggested a “fake turban” would not win Punjabi hearts. Saini has now turned the tables, accusing Mann of insulting Sikh sentiments and demanding an apology for calling the turban “nakli”.
‘Saara pind’ quip steals the show
Patiala AAP MLA Ajit Pal Singh Kohli has become a favourite with the media due to his responses to questions about a party colleague reportedly eyeing his seat in the next Vidhan Sabha elections. When asked about internal rivals seeking the ticket, Kohli shot back with a Punjabi quip: “Saara pind mar jaye… — meaning, even if the whole village dies, the rival won’t get the ticket. The remark left the paparazzi amused.
Contributed by Ruchika M Khanna, Manav Mander, Archit Watts, Pratibha Chauhan, GS Paul and Aman Sood