BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha recently made a late-night stop at Amritsar’s iconic Giani Tea Stall on Cooper Road, where he sipped tea and discussed Punjab politics with locals. Chadha has been at the centre of a political confrontation with AAP, his former party, especially as he arrived in Punjab for BJP’s ‘Nasha Mukt Yatra’. At Giani’s, however, the political conversation took a lighter turn. After a day of engagements, Chadha, moving around the state unnoticed, sat down with tea and interacted with people about Punjab politics and even posted a verse on tea and “nasha”. The outlet has acquired a distinct political identity over time.
Chief minister plays volleyball with youth
Ahead of the 2027 assembly elections, politicians are going out of their way to woo the voters, Punjab chief minister is not an exception. Recently, CM Bhagwant Mann stopped at a local sports ground in Rajomajra village, located within his Dhuri assembly constituency, to play an impromptu game of volleyball with local youth. While travelling for an engagement, Mann noticed youngsters playing, stepped out of his convoy to join the match and encouraged the community to stay active in sports. The show came hours after BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu was caught on camera near PAU in Ludhiana waving liquor bottles at Mann’s cavalcade.
Dhillon relies on written notes at press meets
BJP’s first-ever Jat Sikh state president, Kewal Singh Dhillon, the 76-year-old industrialist-turned-politician, often reads from written notes during press conferences. Though the reason is not clear, his close associates claim that Dhillon does so to avoid any controversy. Dhillon also relied on his written notes when he spoke from the dais at a rally in Jalandhar, addressed by PM Narendra Modi. This habit may look awkward to many. Dhillon, a two-time Congress MLA from Barnala (2007–2017) who defected to the BJP in June 2022, has risen through the organisational ranks from vice-president to core committee member.
Harpreet Bajwa
Our correspondent in Chandigarh
hsbajwa73@gmail.com