Punjab: CM Mann's Brother Joins BJP, AAP Leaders Also Defect Punjab's political landscape saw significant upheaval on Monday as the brother of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Jyoti Singh Mann, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The move has intensified political tensions in the state, with multiple leaders from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also defecting to the ruling party. The developments have sparked widespread discussions across the region, marking a pivotal shift in the state's political dynamics. Jyoti Singh Mann, the brother of CM Bhagwant Mann, formally became a BJP member in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar. His defection follows similar moves by other AAP leaders, including Baljinder Singh Wadhera and Manjinder Singh, who also pledged allegiance to the BJP. This wave of defections has raised concerns about the stability of the AAP government, which has been facing internal challenges in recent months. The political realignment comes amid ongoing controversies surrounding the AAP-led government. Earlier this year, seven AAP legislators, including Rajya Sabha members like Rajiv Chaddha, Sandip Pathak, and Ashok Mittal, had switched allegiance to the BJP. This mass defection, termed "Operation Lotus" by AAP, led to significant unrest within the party and prompted accusations of corruption against the BJP. The situation escalated further with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raiding the residence of Punjab's Industrial Minister Sanjeev Arora. The ED arrested Arora on charges of money laundering and GST fraud, citing a case involving over 157 crore rupees. The raid, conducted on Saturday, led to protests by AAP supporters, with clashes reported at BJP offices in Ludhiana and Balachaur.#bharatiya_janata_party #nayab_singh_saini #aam_aadmi_party #bhagwant_mann #jyoti_singh_mann
Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini presents ₹2.23-lakh cr Budget for 2026-27 Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini unveiled the state’s budget for the financial year 2026-27 on Monday, March 2, 2026, with an outlay of ₹2.23 lakh crore. This represents a 10.28% increase from the revised allocation of ₹2.028 lakh crore for the current fiscal year. The budget was presented in the state assembly in Chandigarh, with Saini emphasizing the incorporation of 5,000 suggestions received from various stakeholders through an AI-based portal. The Chief Minister highlighted that his government has fulfilled 60 out of the 217 promises outlined in his party’s poll manifesto. A significant portion of the budget, ₹28,205 crore, is allocated for capital expenditure, accounting for 12.6% of the total outlay. Saini also announced the approval of ₹2,716 crore in financial assistance from the World Bank for the “Haryana Clean Air Project,” aimed at improving air quality in the state. Among the new initiatives, the budget proposes the establishment of a “Haryana Agri Discom,” a third power distribution company designed to provide electricity to all 5,084 agricultural feeders and 7.12 lakh rural agricultural consumers. This initiative aims to ensure uninterrupted power supply to farms. Additionally, the budget includes a provision of ₹100 crore for the “Haryana Green Climate Resilience Fund,” which will focus on investments in zero-emission vehicles, renewable energy, energy efficiency, water conservation, urban greening, climate-resilient agriculture, and nature-based solutions. The budget also addresses the state’s education sector, with a note indicating a downward trend in education outlay as debt and welfare expenditures rise.#haryana_clean_air_project #world_bank #haryana_agri_discom #haryana_cm #nayab_singh_saini
