The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged protests outside Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) district offices across Punjab on Monday following the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) arrest of Punjab cabinet minister Sanjeev Arora in a money laundering case. Party workers raised slogans against the BJP and accused the central government of using investigative agencies for political purposes. Tense situations were reported in several locations where AAP and BJP workers gathered during the demonstrations. However, no major clashes or arrests had been officially confirmed at publication time. Punjab Finance Mini

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s cousin, Gyan Singh Mann, has officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party after leaving the Aam Aadmi Party. Gyan Singh Mann was inducted into the BJP in Chandigarh in the presence of Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. Speaking after joining the party, Gyan Singh Mann said he had joined the Aam Aadmi Party in 2014 but claimed the party changed after forming the government in Punjab in 2022. He alleged that the AAP had shifted from being “a party of ordinary workers to a party of special interests” and crit

The Bharatiya Janata Party has issued a legal notice to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, alleging defamation over remarks linking the party to recent explosions in Jalandhar and Amritsar. BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh said the notice accuses the chief minister of making allegations without evidence and seeks action related to criminal defamation, spreading false information, and attempting to incite public unrest. The development follows comments made by Mann a day earlier, in which he alleged that such incidents were being used as political tactics ahead of elections in Punja

Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee has lost the Bhabanipur assembly seat in West Bengal, according to early election results. Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Suvendu Adhikari defeated Banerjee by a margin of about 15,000 votes. The result marks the second time Banerjee has lost to Adhikari in a direct contest. In the 2021 state election, she was defeated by him in the Nandigram constituency, although her party went on to form the government with a statewide majority. According to preliminary trends from the Election Commission, the BJP has secured 184 of the 294 assembly seats, crossin

The Punjab Legislative Assembly passed a confidence motion tabled by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during a special session called by the state government, according to proceedings reported from the House. The motion was introduced to demonstrate the government’s majority. A total of 88 legislators from the Aam Aadmi Party voted in favour, while four MLAs were absent at the time of voting. Ahead of the session, Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa questioned the need for a confidence motion, stating that the ruling party already holds a large majority in the Assembly. He said the move

The Punjab cabinet, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, has approved convening a one-day special session of the Vidhan Sabha on May 1, according to a state government announcement. The session will coincide with International Workers' Day and is expected to focus on issues affecting the working class. The government plans to discuss concerns linked to changes in employment programs, including the replacement of the Centre’s MGNREGA with what it describes as the “Ji Ram Ji Scheme,” as outlined in the cabinet decision. According to the announcement, representatives of labour unions from a

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann says the Netherlands is considering importing roses from the state following discussions during his recent visit. According to a statement shared by Mann, Dutch officials indicated interest in sourcing roses from Punjab, which he said could offer better-quality flowers at competitive prices. He noted that the Netherlands currently imports roses in large quantities from Ethiopia. Mann said the discussions focused on expanding cooperation in the horticulture sector, highlighting what he described as untapped opportunities for Punjab farmers in international fl

The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at 11 locations across Punjab and Chandigarh on Monday as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation involving former Punjab Police deputy inspector general Harcharan Singh Bhullar. According to an Enforcement Directorate statement, the कार्रवाई was carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and included premises linked to Bhullar, his associates, and individuals suspected of holding properties on his behalf. Officials said documents and digital evidence were seized during the searches. Investigators suspect th

Rajya Sabha MPs Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal and Sandeep Pathak, who announced their resignations from AAP, joined the BJP in the presence of party chief Nitin Nabin in Delhi on Friday. The remaining four MPs – former cricketer Harbhajan Singh, Swati Maliwal, Rajinder Gupta and Vikram Sahney will join the BJP later. Chadha, Mittal and Pathak, received bouquets from Nabin and greeted other BJP leaders present at the party office.