{
  "id": 2753396,
  "title": "Corridors of power: Raghav Chadha’s role, heat on CM Mann, and AAP’s own Shah",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/corridors-of-power-raghav-chadhas-role-heat-on-cm-mann-and-aaps-own",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-23T08:34:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/punjab-corridors-power-raghav-chadha-bhagwant-mann-jasmine-shah-10845925/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Raghav Chadha, now without a role in the BJP, remains an intriguing figure on the political chessboard. The Rajya Sabha MP could potentially find a place in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Cabinet or return to Punjab. His influence extends beyond politics, as he played a key role in tracking AAP's funding and organisational affairs. Controlling access to funds can significantly impact an organisation's stability in the political arena. Currently, Chadha is waiting, while others closely monitor the developments.\n\nThe political tension surrounding Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appears to be escalating. His former official, Rajbir Ghuman, has written to the Enforcement Directorate to book a longtime friend for exerting influence over transfers and postings. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also taken notice of allegations that Mann's wife, Dr Gurpreet Kaur, sought Rs 5 crore to suppress a rape case. The Chief Secretary and DGP have been directed to submit an action taken report within two weeks. Gurpreet Kaur has served a legal notice on retired Justice Ranjit Singh, who denies making a complaint. The Chief Minister met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Saturday, but the meeting's discussions remain confidential. The controversy is growing, with the Chief Minister's residence now a focal point for political scrutiny.\n\nAs the BJP reshuffles its organisational structure, Satyendar Jain, an AAP co-incharge and former Delhi minister, is now in charge of reviewing the Bhagwant Mann government's flagship schemes. Jasmine Shah, another Kejriwal loyalist and co-incharge, takes on the responsibility of managing the government's women's financial assistance scheme ahead of the Assembly elections. Shah has been associated with AAP's policy and governance initiatives and has penned a book on Kejriwal. In Punjab, Shah is increasingly taking on the role of the strategist behind the scenes, similar to Amit Shah. The question remains whether Jasmine Shah is emerging as AAP's own version of Amit Shah, playing a crucial role in translating the government's agenda into electoral strategy. Meanwhile, Kuldeep Dhaliwal, an AAP MLA and former minister, reassured shopkeepers in Ajnala amidst concerns over threats and ransom calls. His message was simple: shopkeepers should keep their businesses open and call Dhaliwal if they face any threats. However, the Opposition seized the opportunity to use Dhaliwal's actions as political ammunition, highlighting the state's troubled law and order situation.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}