From Corridors of Power | Black flags, sand storms and slow files: Saini, Mann and Kejriwal in a week of political reruns

From Nayab Singh Saini’s déjà vu moment to Bhagwant Mann’s DGP deadline drift and Malvinder Singh Kang’s mining salvo, Punjab’s power corridors hum with theatre, tension and ticking clocks.

4 min readChandigarhMar 1, 2026 05:36 PM IST

The Punjab government has unveiled 30 investment projects worth ₹27,294 crore to be showcased at next month's Progressive Punjab Investors Summit. (File photo).

When Nayab Singh Saini was greeted with a flurry of black flags by leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party, it was less a protest and more a rerun with new casting. Punjab politics does love a sequel.

Cast your mind back to 2014 to 2022. A combative Arvind Kejriwal, then the outsider looking in, was routinely shown black flags by workers of the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP combine ahead of 2017 and by Congress before 2022. The symbolism was blunt: not welcome. The optics were dramatic. The effect, limited.

Fast forward, and the script has inverted. The once-targeted now do the targeting. The rebel has acquired a ruling party’s muscle memory. Those black flags in 2017 did not stop AAP’s ascent. In 2022, it swept Punjab with a decisive majority. Street theatre filled the cameras; the ballot boxes had the final word. Moral of the story: fabric flutters, voters decide.

High court homework and Rs 10,000 lessons

It was a chastening week for the Punjab bureaucracy in the High Court. Judges asked questions. The government shuffled papers.

On February 25, the court pulled up the state for not filing a reply in MP Amritpal Singh’s plea seeking temporary release to attend Parliament. The file, apparently, travelled at a contemplative pace. The court’s patience did not. Result: a Rs 10,000 fine, to be deposited at PGI Chandigarh. If nothing else, the sum may serve as symbolic therapy for what critics describe as chronic delay syndrome.

A day earlier, the Revenue Department had skipped filing a reply in another matter for a full year. That earned an order for the personal appearance of Chief Secretary KAP Sinha. Bureaucratic reflexes sharpened instantly. Late evening meetings were convened. Secretaries began counting pending cases, contempt notices and backlogs with renewed enthusiasm.

Departments cited policy complexities. The court sought compliance. In the tussle between explanation and obligation, the gavel tends to keep time.

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Sand, strains and strategic friendships

Malvinder Singh Kang, MP from Anandpur Sahib representing the Aam Aadmi Party, has added a layer of intrigue to intra-party equations. He said he submitted to senior leadership a list of party leaders allegedly involved in illegal sand mining in Punjab.

Kang also criticised police action against protesting farmers in Bathinda, widening the frame beyond mining.

Bathinda’s SSP, Jyoti Yadav, is married to Harjot Bains, the AAP MLA from Anandpur Sahib, a region that political rivals have often described as a hub of illegal mining. Both Kang and Bains represent the Anandpur Sahib Assembly segment, while Kang is elected from the Anandpur Sahib parliamentary constituency.

In party lore, Kang is regarded as close to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Bains is widely seen as a confidant of AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal. None of this establishes wrongdoing. It does, however, make for a crowded Venn diagram of proximity, perception and power. In Punjab politics, geography is destiny and friendship is frequently analysed like a budget line item.

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DGP panel pause and paper trail anxiety

A quieter unease is coursing through sections of the state bureaucracy after the government did not respond by February 28 to the Union Public Service Commission’s letter seeking a panel of officers for appointment as Director General of Police.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the Home portfolio, left for Bengaluru on February 25 without initiating movement on the file. The Home Department, tasked with preparing the panel in line with Supreme Court guidelines, now finds itself navigating procedure in the absence of political clarity.

The political executive may treat the matter as a negotiation. For civil servants, it is a paper trail. Files that do not move have a habit of resurfacing. The delay could invite scrutiny or even contempt proceedings if challenged.

As the Centre and the state appear locked in a low-decibel standoff, it is the bureaucracy that feels most exposed. On paper, it is accountable. In hierarchy, it is bound. In the meantime, it waits, counts days and hopes that deadlines, like black flags, are sometimes more symbolic than terminal.

Kanchan Vasdev

Kanchan Vasdev is a Senior Assistant Editor in The Indian Express’ Punjab bureau. She is a highly experienced journalist with 22 years of expertise covering high-stakes politics, governance, and social issues in Northern India. Professional Background Role: Primary reporter covering the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), government policies, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership in the state. Experience: She previously worked with The Tribune and has played a key role in launching various city editions. Special Projects: Abandoned Brides: Authored a monograph on brides abandoned by NRIs as part of the Prabha Dutt Memorial Fellowship. Environment: Worked as a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) fellow, focusing on the pollution levels in the Satluj river. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting focuses on the legislative strategies and political maneuvers of the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government: 1. Legislative & Governance Standoffs "Punjab govt advances special Assembly session to pass resolution against VB-G RAM G Bill" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the state's move to block the Centre's "Viksit Bharat" mission, which the state claims will undermine MGNREGA. "Punjab govt doubles down on special sessions, sixth in January" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing the AAP government's use of special sessions as a legislative tool amid tensions with the Governor. "Punjab asks 'VIP teachers' working near Chandigarh to go back to border districts" (Dec 16, 2025): Reporting on CM Mann's move to end the practice of influential teachers avoiding postings in remote areas. 2. Political Analysis & Rural Polls "Punjab rural polls: Why Akalis are likened to dinosaurs in Punjab" (Dec 19, 2025): Analyzing CM Bhagwant Mann's rhetoric against the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) following local body elections. "AAP claims win in 78% Punjab zila parishads as counting continues" (Dec 18, 2025): Breaking down the results of the 2025 rural elections. "Rahul Gandhi and Sidhu alike, says Bhagwant Mann" (Dec 13, 2025): Covering the CM's critique of the Congress leadership. 3. Law Enforcement & Bureaucracy "Suspended Punjab IPS officer Ravjot Kaur Grewal awaits reinstatement" (Dec 10, 2025): Investigative reporting on the bureaucratic red tape involving the Election Commission and the state government. "Punjab declines to give parole to Amritpal Singh" (Nov 27, 2025): Detailing the state government's refusal to grant parole to the radical preacher and sitting MP. 4. Welfare & Economy "Punjab government's plan to add more freebies to 'atta-dal' scheme hits funds roadblock" (Dec 4, 2024): An analysis of the fiscal challenges facing the state's flagship food security program. "Mann leads Punjab delegation to Japan and South Korea for investor outreach" (Dec 2, 2025). Signature Beat Kanchan Vasdev is known for her insider access to Punjab's political executive. Her writing provides deep insights into how state policies are formulated and the friction points between the state government and central authorities. Her dual expertise in environment and law allows her to report on complex issues like the "Farmhouse Policy" (Dec 18, 2025) and river pollution with a unique policy-oriented lens. X (Twitter): @kanchan99 ... Read More

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