Corridors of Power | Channi-Waris Punjab De buzz, BJP yatra and SAD signal

Is anything cooking between former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and the Waris Punjab De (WPD) camp? Perhaps nothing. Or perhaps someone, somewhere, is quietly joining the dots. WPD chief and Lok Sabha MP Amritpal Singh’s father Tarsem Singh has recently heaped praise on Channi.

And this is not entirely out of the blue. After getting elected to the Lok Sabha, it was Channi who raised Amritpal’s detention in Dibrugarh jail while speaking in Parliament, giving the issue a national platform. Now Channi is hardly looking comfortable in the Congress tent.

His differences with the party leadership have been increasingly difficult to miss. On the other side, the WPD camp is looking for political space and a larger Panthic footprint. Put these three things together, and you have, at the very least, an interesting political arithmetic: a former CM unhappy with his party, a jailed MP whose cause Channi championed in Parliament, and a father now publicly appreciative of Channi.

But if Punjab politics has taught us anything, it is that when everyone insists nothing is cooking, it may be worth checking the kitchen. BJP’s yatra against drugs in Punjab, beginning mid-September, comes at a politically significant juncture as the Bhagwant Mann government enters the last six months of its five-year term.

Mann took the oath as chief minister on March 16, 2022, and with the 2027 Assembly elections drawing closer, the political temperature is expected to go several notches up in the coming days. The final six months could also open the door to a rush of political defections.

Under the rules, a constituency can remain without an elected representative for up to six months and a sitting MLA can resign during this period without triggering an immediate bypoll. This is likely to give prospective turncoats greater room to switch sides.

With parties already beginning to prepare for the elections, political observers expect several sitting legislators to explore greener pastures and change political affiliations. The BJP’s yatra could thus be the start of a more aggressive electoral campaign, with the drugs issue becoming a key plank as parties seek to expand their footprint and attract turncoats from rival camps.

Sometimes, political signals need no joint statement; just an itinerary can do the talking. The choice of The Oberoi Sukhvilas in New Chandigarh as the base for the Lok Sabha Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution during its Chandigarh leg from September 12 to 14 speaks volumes.

The committee, after first touching down in Leh, has chosen the resort despite it being some 30-odd km from the Chandigarh airport. The choice is significant because the property is owned by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal.

It comes at a time when there is renewed talk of a possible truck between the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP, the former allies who parted ways in 2020. SAD-BJP watchers should take note. Whether the choice is merely logistical or carries a political subtext is open to interpretation.

Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) has a new vice-chancellor in eminent neurologist Dr Rajinder Kumar Bansal, a veteran of the medical field with more than 25 years of clinical and academic experience. His appointment, notified by the Punjab Governor as vice-chancellor of the university, is, on the face of it, a professional one.

Yet, political observers are unlikely to miss one small detail about the new incumbent: Dr Bansal belongs to Cheema Mandi, not far from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s native village, Satauj. There is, of course, no reason to attach any political motive to the appointment and none should be inferred merely from geography.

But in Punjab, where even a university appointment can acquire a political subtext, such details rarely escape notice. Whether the proximity is merely geographical is something that need not be answered. For now, the more important fact is that BFUHS has a noted medical expert at its helm.

The rest, as they say, is for the corridors to discuss. 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.

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