Today in Politics: Mann may rejig Punjab Cabinet, 4 ministers likely to face axe; Rahul in J&K on last day of phase 2 campaign

While there was no official announcement on the reshuffle, multiple sources within the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and in the government On Sunday said that four ministers have submitted their resignation letters. They include Chetan Singh Jouramajra, who held the Public Relations, Mining and Horticulture portfolios, Bram Shankar Jimpa (Revenue), Balkar Singh (Local Bodies) and Anmol Gagan Mann (Tourism).

Those likely to be inducted include Lehra MLA Barinder Kumar Goyal, Hardeep Singh Mundian (Sahnewal), Dr Ravjot Singh (Sham Chaurasi), Tarunpreet Singh Sond (Khanna) and Mohinder Bhagat (Jalandhar).

This will be the fourth reshuffle of the two-and-a-half year old Mann government in Punjab, and comes days after the party carried out a similar exercise in Delhi after AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal was released from jail after being granted bail by the Supreme Court in the excise policy case.

Sources said Balkar Singh’s ouster from the Cabinet was waiting to happen especially after he was caught in a controversy during Lok Sabha elections when a sleazy video, purported to be of the minister, had surfaced.

Anmol Gagan Maan, one of the two women ministers, is said to be facing anti-incumbency in her constituency Kharar. Recently, she had hit the headlines for publicly saying some officials took bribes in her name.

Sources said, Jouramajra, considered to be close to CM, has not taken his ouster kindly and was trying till late in the evening to not let go of his berth. The removal of Jimpa, however, has come as a surprise, even to the AAP leaders.

Rahul in J&K on last day of phase 2 campaign

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi  will address two rallies in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, the last day of campaigning for the second phase of the Assembly polls.

Gandhi will arrive in the Surankote area of Poonch around 11 am and will address a public rally. He will then proceed to Srinagar, where he will address another rally in the Shalteng area.

The second phase of the Assembly elections will see Rajouri and Poonch of Jammu, and Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal of Kashmir go to the polls.

Shah in Haryana

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday will address public rallies in poll-bound Haryana.

Shah will address a gathering in Tohana, where the party has fielded JJP turncoat Devender Singh Babli and then proceed to Jagadhri Assembly constituency, where he will address a rally in support of BJP candidate Kanwar Pal Gurjar.

All 90 seats of Haryana go to the polls in a single phase on October 5, the results of which will be announced on October 8.

EC team in Jharkhand

A 12-member Election Commission (EC) team will be on a two-day visit to Jharkhand from Monday, an official said last week.

“A 12-member EC team will arrive in Ranchi on Monday. The team, led by CEC Rajiv Kumar, will review the state’s poll preparedness and hold a series of meetings on September 23 and 24 with various stakeholders,” Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) K Ravi Kumar told PTI.

The team would interact with representatives of political parties, enforcement agencies, the chief secretary, the director general of police (DGP), other senior police officials, deputy commissioners and superintendents of police of all districts.

The Assembly elections are expected to be conducted in two to three phases in Jharkhand, sources said.

Nadda to flag off Parivartan Yatra in Jharkhand

BJP National President Shri J.P. Nadda will pay floral tributes to Bhagwan Birsa Munda statue and flag off the Dakshin Chhota Nagpur Pramandal Parivartan Yatra from Khunti on Monday.

On Sunday, Khunti MLA Neelkanth Munda took stock of the preparations for the yatra and slammed the Hemant Soren-led JMM government for leaving the “people in distress” for the past five years. “Jharkhand cannot develop under this government. The purpose with which former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee formed the state is yet to be fulfilled,” he said.

PM Modi to address Summit of the Future in New York

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the Summit of the Future on Monday, but not the annual high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, according to the latest schedules from the UN.

Earlier, PM Modi was listed earlier as a speaker at the September 26 session of the Assembly high-level meeting. External Affairs Minister (EAM), S. Jaishankar, is now listed as India’s speaker at the Assembly high-level meeting and will address it on September 28.

Ninth round of India-EU FTA talks to begin

Senior officials of India and the 27-nation European Union (EU) will commence the next round of talks for a proposed free trade agreement from Monday here, an official said.

The agreement is aimed at further boosting bilateral trade and investments between the two regions. The two sides are negotiating a free trade agreement, an investment protection agreement and an agreement on geographical indications (GIs).

“The five-day talks will start from September 23. It will be the ninth round of negotiations. Also, the concerns of Indian stakeholders regarding the EU’s sustainability measures, such as CBAM, deforestation and others, will be discussed with the EU,” the official said.

VHP to discuss Tirupati laddu row

The controversy surrounding Tirupati laddus and the demand for “freeing” temples across the country from government control are among the key issues to be discussed at a meeting of the VHP’s apex body in Andhra Pradesh on Monday.

The day-long meeting of the Vishva Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) Kendriya Margdarshak Mandal, to be held in Tirupati city, will also discuss the issue of religious conversion, a senior functionary of the organisation said on Sunday.

VHP national secretary general Bajrang Bagda said a resolution on this issue may also be passed at the meeting, Bagda said.

– With PTI inputs