Eye on 2027, Kejriwal holds ‘strategic’ huddle with Punjab ministers

Chandigarh: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal held meetings with at least three ministers from Punjab in New Delhi on Tuesday evening, even as Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann continues to be admitted to a private hospital in Mohali.While it is being speculated that the discussion centred on building bridges with the deras in the state, especially Dera Beas and Dera Ballan, party leadership termed it a "routine" meeting. The ministers included Mohinder Bhagat, Ravjot and Hardeep Singh Mundian, party sources said.Bhagat told TOI that the purpose of the meeting was to take feedback about the recent developments in the state and how to serve the general public better through govt schemes. He, however, denied that there was any specific discussion on the deras. "We met the party command to brief them about the situation in Punjab. The state govt recently launched the universal health scheme offering Rs 10 lakh for every family, and there was talk about how to make people aware of it… We keep meeting the party leadership and it is a routine matter in every party," he said.Asked about the talk of a possible reshuffle in the Punjab cabinet, Bhagat insisted that there was no discussion, nor was the meeting to take a report card of the ministers. "The ministers and MLAs are often called to Delhi and there is nothing unusual about it. Kejriwal was in Punjab two days back for the Moga event, but may not have found time to meet us here," he said.Bhagat represents the Jalandhar West constituency, which is considered the heartland of the Ravidassia community. Dera Ballan is the most influential religious seat for this community. Similarly, Ravjot represents Sham Chaurasi (a reserved seat in Hoshiarpur). This region has a significant Dalit population that follows the Ravidassia tradition.Lately, the BJP has significantly ramped up its outreach to Dera Sachkhand Ballan (the spiritual seat of the Ravidassia community). On February 1, 2026, PM Narendra Modi visited the dera to commemorate Ravidas Jayanti. The Centre also awarded the Padma Shri to the dera's patron, Sant Niranjan Das.Incidentally, there have been speculations about a possible cabinet reshuffle, besides the appointment of two deputy chief ministers, including one from the Dalit community. Replying to a question about such talk, AAP leader Manish Sisodia, who was speaking to media persons after meeting CM Bhagwant Mann in hospital, made light of the issue and instead referred to the criticism of the AI summit. There have been reports that after the party leadership failed to arrive at a consensus on the possible changes in the state Cabinet, and the matter was put on the back burner.