Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has stepped up the political attack on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over an alleged drinking habit, days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made a similar allegation at a rally in Sangrur.

Saini appealed to people in Punjab to help Mann give up alcohol while referring to the state’s ongoing battle against drug abuse.

“Mann sahab ki daaroo chhurwao, tabhi nasha khatam ho sakta hai,” Saini said, according to the report. The remark translates to an appeal to help Mann quit drinking, linking the comment to the broader issue of addiction in Punjab.

Rahul Gandhi’s earlier allegation against Mann

The latest political exchange follows remarks made by Rahul Gandhi at a Congress rally in Sangrur on November 4.

Recalling his time in Parliament with Bhagwant Mann, Gandhi alleged that he could smell alcohol on Mann’s breath even at around 11 am. Gandhi, however, said that drinking was Mann’s personal matter.

Gandhi’s argument was that the issue becomes relevant because the Punjab government is expected to lead the fight against substance abuse.

Saini backs Rahul Gandhi’s remarks

Saini had earlier supported Gandhi’s comments, describing them as “absolutely true” and recalling that the two politicians had sat together in the Lok Sabha when they were part of the INDIA alliance.

His latest remarks have extended the political criticism of Mann, bringing the Haryana Chief Minister into the controversy surrounding the Punjab Chief Minister’s alleged drinking habit.

AAP calls remarks a personal attack

The Aam Aadmi Party has rejected the criticism directed at Mann and described Rahul Gandhi’s remarks as a “below-the-belt” personal attack.

AAP also accused the Congress and BJP of joining hands to target the Punjab Chief Minister.

The controversy comes ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly election and has added a personal dimension to the opposition’s wider criticism of the AAP government’s handling of drugs and law and order in the state.

It is important to note that the drinking-related statements in the political controversy are allegations made by political opponents and should not be presented as independently established facts.

The Congress has begun strengthening its organisational structure in Uttar Pradesh ahead of proposed alliance discussions with the Samajwadi Party for the 2027 Assembly elections. With negotiations expected to begin after Chhath Puja, the party leadership has entrusted Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra with several key responsibilities in the state.

Rahul Gandhi has asked his sister to oversee the party’s preparations in Uttar Pradesh, where the Congress is looking to strengthen its position before entering seat-sharing negotiations with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

No date has been finalised for the discussions. However, party insiders expect the talks to begin after the Chhath festival.

Priyanka Gandhi gets key responsibilities

Priyanka Gandhi’s responsibilities include overseeing the formation of the party’s manifesto, campaign and coordination committees.

She has also been tasked with organising four major rallies across Uttar Pradesh’s Purvanchal, Bundelkhand, Awadh and Western regions.

One of her most important responsibilities will be identifying candidates for around 100-115 constituencies. The party wants to shortlist leaders who can challenge the BJP while remaining aligned with the Congress’s ideology.

Priyanka Gandhi has also increased her involvement in the state’s political affairs, partly to address unnecessary public statements by Congress leaders that could affect the party’s relationship with the Samajwadi Party.

Congress-SP alliance talks and seat-sharing differences

The Congress leadership is reportedly satisfied with the Samajwadi Party’s participation in the November 1 rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, where the SP brought a large number of workers.

A senior Congress leader told the media that there would be no major hurdles in forming an alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

The final decision, however, will be taken by Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Akhilesh Yadav, the leader said.

Despite the positive signals, differences over seat-sharing remain an important issue between the two parties.

Some Congress leaders have claimed that the party has already prepared a list of 180-200 constituencies. Others have maintained that the Congress should not be taken lightly during negotiations.

Samajwadi Party leaders, however, have indicated that the Congress should consider a figure closer to 80-100 seats.

Priyanka Gandhi has reportedly instructed the Uttar Pradesh Congress leadership, including the state in-charge, state president, working presidents and other office-bearers, to avoid unnecessary public statements that could negatively affect the proposed alliance.

Samajwadi Party gains confidence after MLC election results

The Samajwadi Party is also entering the proposed negotiations with increased confidence following its performance in the recent Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections.

The party won five of the 11 seats that went to polls. It had previously held only three of those seats.

The MLC elections were considered an important test for the party ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

Following the results, Akhilesh Yadav described the BJP’s performance as a “double defeat” and said the outcome had laid the groundwork for the Samajwadi Party’s victory in the next Assembly elections.

Swami Prasad Maurya could become a point of friction

Another issue that could complicate the Congress-SP relationship is Swami Prasad Maurya.

Akhilesh Yadav is understood to have reservations about Maurya, while Congress leader Rajendra Gautam, who is in charge of the state, considers him a friend.

Maurya had won the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election on a BJP ticket and served as a minister in the state government. He subsequently joined the Samajwadi Party ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections but lost his election.

He later formed his own political party, the Janata Party, and has frequently criticised Akhilesh Yadav and his PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) platform.

The Samajwadi Party has made it clear that it does not want Maurya included in the proposed alliance under any circumstances.

This leaves the Congress with a difficult choice. If it decides to accommodate Maurya, it may have to allocate him a constituency from its own share of seats rather than the Samajwadi Party’s quota.

With alliance discussions approaching, the Congress is focusing on strengthening its organisation and identifying potential candidates before negotiating with Akhilesh Yadav’s party.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday and discussed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, diplomatic developments and efforts aimed at restoring peace.

The conversation also covered India-Ukraine bilateral cooperation, with both leaders agreeing to further strengthen ties between the two countries.

Modi reiterates India’s position on Ukraine war

During the telephone conversation, PM Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment to contributing towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Modi reiterated India’s consistent position that the conflict should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. He also conveyed India’s readiness to contribute to efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution.

Modi said he thanked Zelenskyy for sharing his perspective on the ongoing conflict, including its humanitarian aspects and the various efforts being made to restore peace.

Zelensky briefs Modi on diplomatic developments

Zelenskyy said he briefed Modi on the latest diplomatic developments ahead of upcoming peace talks in Abu Dhabi.

The Ukrainian president said Kyiv was preparing for the agenda of the meeting and maintained that Russia should demonstrate a similar willingness to de-escalate the conflict.

Zelenskyy also said Modi had repeatedly conveyed, including directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin, that the time had come to end the war rather than continue it.

India-Ukraine ties also discussed

Beyond the conflict, Modi and Zelenskyy reviewed their countries’ wide-ranging bilateral cooperation and agreed to strengthen India-Ukraine ties further.

Zelenskyy also said discussions touched on food security and the disruption of grain exports through the Black Sea. He said India was ready to help mediate efforts to establish food corridors, with the two sides agreeing to keep their teams in contact on this and other bilateral issues.

The call comes as diplomatic efforts continue around the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with talks in Abu Dhabi forming part of the latest efforts to explore a path towards ending the war.