Punjab, one of the seven states readying for Assembly polls in 2027, found an unlikely talking point in Parliament during the final days of the Monsoon Session. Amritsar’s famous kulcha drew more than 120 MPs, mostly from the NDA, and journalists, to the MPs’ canteen and the residence of host MP Tarun Chugh. The flaky, crisp bread, baked in a traditional clay oven and brushed with pure ghee sourced from rural Punjab, came with tangy chickpea curry and chhole. As journalists ate, one joked in song: “Khaaye ja, khaaye ja, Punjab ka gungaankiyejaa.” Chugh, BJP Rajya Sabha MP and national general secretary, is among the party’s prominent faces in the Punjab poll scene.
The long wait for a party post
Amid talk of a major organisational reshuffle in the BJP, several leaders who see themselves as articulate and capable of making sharp, reaction-provoking statements are waiting anxiously for a place in Nitin Nabin’s new team. The next few days, especially between August 16 and 20, may prove tense for aspirants, eyeing media assignments. The party wants more punchy speakers. Curiously, some leaders who until recently had little social-media presence beyond their journalist circles have suddenly become regular posters. New, younger faces are expected in Nabin’s team, reflecting its emphasis on youth after the Jantar Mantar agitation. “Waiting is getting longer, and so is our anxiety,” one aspirant quipped. The nervous wait continues, with names still under wraps.
An Indian expert gets a Hague invite
India’s growing expertise in financial intelligence has received international recognition, with the International Criminal Court at The Hague inviting an Indian Revenue Service officer as an expert for the first time. Raghav Gupta, from the 2012batch and currently Director at the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) under the Union Home Ministry, has been invited by the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor for a capacity-building programme on hawala systems and related financial investigation methods. The ICC sought his nomination from NATGRID’s CEO. An official said Gupta is the first Indian officer to receive such an invitation.
The search for a younger voice
With the BJP-led government’s Cabinet averaging around 65, the student protests have brought a generational question into sharper focus: who can speak convincingly to Gen Z? Tejasvi Surya, Bansuri Swaraj and other BJP leaders have been tasked with establishing contact with student protesters and understanding the growing disconnect. Attention has also shifted to the ABVP, with questions over why Gen Z has not found a stronger presence within the organisation, and whether the youth wing is attuned to the changing mood. There is also a growing realisation within the party about the need for popular young faces who can credibly represent today’s youth. For a party seeking to connect with a younger generation, the generational gap is difficult to ignore.
Home away from home
India’s Act East policy has, quite literally, found a roof in Jakarta. The new Chancery brings together the Indian Embassy, the Mission to ASEAN and the Cultural Centre in the same place. But it wasn’t easy. The old building had to be demolished, the rubble cleared and then construct the whole new complex, including housing for India-based officials. There were delays, including a four-month work stoppage, and even a couple of court cases along the way. But the struggle has paid off. The result is more than a new building. It brings together the many strands of India’s Act East policy under one roof, and could provide a more effective platform for taking that engagement forward.