A turbulent week reshapes Punjab’s politics ahead of 2027 elections.
Punjab has witnessed many turbulent political phases over the decades, but the first week of May 2026 may well be remembered as one of the most politically combustible periods under the three-year-old AAP government led by Bhagwant Mann.
In just seven days, Punjab saw allegations of an intoxicated chief minister inside the Vidhan Sabha, viral fake news around the death of senior Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, political controversy over FIR reports against defected MP Sandeep Pathak, twin blasts in two major cities, a religious confrontation involving the Akal Takht, and finally dramatic Enforcement Directorate raids that politically cornered some of the ruling establishment’s key names.
And this is happening nearly a year before the 2027 Assembly elections.
The political spiral began on May 1 during the special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. The Congress and opposition parties created an uproar inside the Assembly after alleging that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appeared intoxicated during proceedings. Congress MLAs staged a walkout and demanded alcohol and dope tests for all legislators, including the Chief Minister.
The allegations quickly snowballed into a major political controversy, reviving an issue that Mann’s opponents have repeatedly raised over the years. While the AAP dismissed the accusations as political theatrics, the optics of opposition legislators openly questioning the conduct of a sitting chief minister inside the Assembly ensured the issue dominated headlines for days.
On the very same day, another bizarre controversy erupted. Fake social media reports claiming the death of senior Congress leader and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa spread rapidly across Punjab’s digital ecosystem before being debunked. The incident once again highlighted the growing problem of misinformation and politically charged fake news in the state’s hyper-polarised environment.
The political confusion deepened further with reports circulating about alleged FIRs against former AAP national general secretary and defected-in BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak, who was rumoured in sections of social media to be shifting political loyalties. Though the reports later turned out to be false or misleading, they added to the atmosphere of uncertainty and speculation gripping Punjab politics. Then came the security scare.
Twin low-intensity blasts in Jalandhar and Amritsar shook Punjab politically and administratively. Instead of limiting the matter to a law and order issue, the controversy exploded after Chief Minister Mann publicly alleged that the BJP was behind the incidents as part of preparations for the upcoming Punjab elections.
The BJP retaliated fiercely. BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh served a legal notice on Mann demanding proof or resignation. Congress leaders too questioned the contradiction between Mann’s statements and Punjab Police chief Gaurav Yadav’s indication that Pakistan’s ISI could be linked to the blasts. What followed was perhaps even more politically sensitive. The recently passed Jaagat Jot Shri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Amendment Act triggered religious and constitutional debate after dissatisfaction emerged within Sikh religious circles over certain provisions and procedures. The issue escalated to the point where the Akal Takht Jathedar summoned the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, putting the Mann government in an uncomfortable position between legislative authority and Sikh religious sentiment.
The “currency rain” became the biggest political shock with the Enforcement Directorate raids in Mohali, Chandigarh and Kharar.
The ED conducted searches linked to alleged fraudulent change-of-land-use approvals and real estate irregularities. Dramatic visuals of bags allegedly containing cash being thrown from a balcony during raids in Kharar added sensationalism to an already volatile situation.
