CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s trusted core appears to be disintegrating. But the big question is: is the CM slowly losing his utility for the Aam Aadmi Party? Take Navneet Wadhwa, director of communications at the Chief Minister’s Office. He put in his papers after he was told that his contract will not be renewed. A few days ago, Onkar Singh, Officer on Special Duty to the CM, quit. Singh was considered close to Mann and was in-charge of his Dhuri constituency. His exit came as a surprise as he was also handling the political programmes of Mann’s spouse Dr Gurpreet Kaur.The axe is expected to fall on one more important official, say sources.Besides, five new faces were inducted into the Mann ministry recently while four ministers were dropped, two of whom — Chetan Singh Jouramajra and Anmol Gagan Maan — were considered close to the CM.When Mann recently fell down at the Chandigarh airport after de-boarding from a chartered plane, the Opposition Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) took another pot shot at his failure to stay sober during work hours. But the AAP leadership chose not to defend him.Mann was later admitted to Fortis Hopsital in Mohali where he was dignosed with leptospirosis. Among those who called on him at the hospital were Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Congress MLA Pargat Singh.In May, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had predicted an AAP split in the state, which could have been a shot in the dark. But clouds of uncertainty persist in the political landscape of Punjab though the Southwest monsoon has withdrawn.‘Delhi takes call in all major political parties’A few days ago, Tarsem Singh, father of Khadoor Sahib MP and pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh announced his plan to float a political party. He said, “There is no regional party to look after the interests of Punjab. All decisions of major political parties are taken in Delhi. Hence, the decision to form new party.”
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