Patna (Bihar) [India], May 18 : Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over alleged "poaching" of leaders and raised concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging attempts to manipulate voter lists.
Speaking in Patna, Mann said the BJP should focus on national governance instead of political defections and organisational expansion.
"Instead of poaching MLAs from other parties, the BJP should focus on the country. SIR will commence on June 15th. These people manipulate genuine votes to manufacture fake ones, and we will not allow this to happen in Punjab," Mann said.
The remarks come amid political tensions in Punjab over the upcoming SIR Phase-III exercise announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI), which will cover 16 states and three Union Territories and over 36 crore electors in a phased manner.
As per the Election Commission schedule, the preparation phase will begin in Punjab on June 15, followed by BLO visits from June 25 to July 24, with the final electoral roll to be published on October 1, 2026.
Meanwhile, in Punjab, several leaders have switched parties in recent weeks. Among them, Gyan Singh Mann, cousin of the Punjab Chief Minister, joined the BJP on May 11 in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar. Earlier, multiple leaders, including MPs Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal, had also moved away from AAP and aligned with the BJP.
Furthermore, Mann also demanded greater transparency from the Centre, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to disclose details regarding national reserves.
"Prime Minister Modi should make public the details regarding our current reserves of gold, petrol, and LPG," he added.
His remarks also come against the backdrop of the announcement, which was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent appeal urging citizens to reduce fuel consumption, adopt sustainable practices and support economic resilience amid global uncertainties linked to the West Asia conflict.
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