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Punjab: Who is Ashok Kumar Mittal? Here’s what you need to know about AAP’s pick for Rajya Sabha

Days after a landslide victory in recently concluded assembly elections in Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party has nominated its 5 nominees for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls.

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Ashok Kumar Mittal

Days after a landslide victory in recently concluded Assembly elections in Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party has nominated its five nominees for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls.

Ashok Kumar Mittal, the Chancellor of Lovely Professional University, was one among the AAP’s five Rajya Sabha nominees. He is described by the party as a renowned academician and social activist. A part of the Lovely Group founded by late Baldev Raj Mittal, the University was established in 2001 as the “largest private university” and is an example of coming up the hard way.

The Group began with a sweetshop in Jalandhar Cantonment in 1961 and by the 1980s, had become a must-visit sweets destination in all of Jalandhar. It branched into a two-wheeler dealership of Bajaj Auto in 1991 and then started a Maruti Suzuki car dealership in 1996. Slowly and steadily, the Group built up its goodwill and corpus. The result of which is the Lovely Professional University.

AAP has picked former cricketer Harbhajan Singh, AAP Delhi MLA and Punjab campaign head Raghav Chadha, Indian Institute of Technology Professor Sandeep Pathak, apart from Mittal and industrialist Sanjeev Arora as its representatives due to be elected to the Rajya Sabha, which seems a foregone conclusion given that the party holds 92 seats in the 117-member House.

The choices of Chadha, Pathak and Mittal has thrown open a can of allegations against AAP for not choosing people within Punjab and instead relying on its Delhi goodwill and awarding loyalists from the capital and experts from other fields. Twitter is awash with allegations that the party gave Rajya Sabha seats to billionaires in Delhi and has now made room for Mittal who runs the Lovely Professional University, another billionaire.

Several heavyweights from Punjab bit the dust in the recent Assembly elections. AAP hasn’t rewarded the people, a few of them highly qualified, who came up with such Herculean feats. Among the defeated were outgoing Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, former CM Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Badal, and former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann have reiterated to their MLAs that the party will not tolerate corruption.

There are 13 Rajya Sabha seats to which elections will be held on March 31 and today is the last day of filling nomination for the Punjab Rajya Sabha elections. The Punjab MLAs will vote for 5 MPs, 3 will be elected from Kerala, 2 from Assam, and one each from Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Tripura.

AAP picks Harbhajan Singh, Raghav Chadha, and others as its Rajya Sabha candidates from Punjab, check full list

Petrol Diesel price today: Increase in diesel price by Rs 25 for THESE customers, check state-wise fuel rates here

In other India news, the Aam Aadmi Party which swept the Congress in Punjab by winning the 92 seats of 117-assembly seats, has spiked five of its Rajay Sabha nominees for the upcoming assembly polls which will be held on March 31.

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Blasts outside defence establishments in Punjab within 2 hours trigger security alarm

Two explosions near defence-linked locations in Punjab within two hours have triggered alarm and heightened security across the state.

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Two explosion incidents reported within a span of around two hours near key defence-linked locations in Punjab have raised serious security concerns and triggered political reactions.

The first incident took place near the Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters in Jalandhar, where a blast involving a delivery scooter was reported in a populated area. The proximity of the explosion to a sensitive security installation immediately drew the attention of authorities.

Shortly after, another blast was reported near a military-linked area in Amritsar, further heightening concerns over security preparedness in the border state. Police and security agencies responded swiftly, deploying bomb disposal squads and forensic teams at both locations.

Officials confirmed that no casualties were reported in either incident. However, the back-to-back nature of the explosions caused panic in nearby areas and prompted authorities to place the state on high alert.

Political leaders reacted strongly, questioning the handling of security and pointing to possible lapses. They urged authorities to take preventive steps to avoid such incidents in the future.

Punjab, being a strategically important border state, remains sensitive to such developments. Investigations are currently underway to determine the cause of the explosions and whether there are any links between the two incidents.

Security has been tightened around key installations, with agencies assessing whether the blasts were isolated events or part of a broader threat.

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Retired bureaucrats appointed by Mamata Banerjee barred from Bengal offices ahead of BJP government formation

Retired bureaucrats appointed under Mamata Banerjee have been barred from government offices as West Bengal prepares for a BJP-led administration.

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In a significant administrative development following the West Bengal Assembly election results, several retired bureaucrats appointed during the tenure of Mamata Banerjee have reportedly been barred from entering state government offices.

The decision comes at a time when the Bharatiya Janata Party is preparing to form its first government in the state after securing a decisive mandate. The move is seen as part of the transition process as the outgoing administration makes way for the incoming regime.

Officials indicated that the restrictions apply specifically to retired personnel who had been given contractual or advisory roles under the previous government. These individuals have now been asked not to access offices or handle official work.

The development follows a broader directive issued by the state administration to ensure that no official documents or records are removed, damaged, or tampered with during the transition period. Authorities have emphasised strict accountability, placing responsibility on departmental heads to safeguard files and maintain proper records.

The political backdrop to this move is the sweeping victory of the BJP in the 2026 West Bengal elections, marking a major shift in the state’s political landscape after years of Trinamool Congress rule.

With the new government expected to take charge soon, administrative reshuffling and tightening of access to government infrastructure are being viewed as measures to ensure a smooth and transparent handover of power.

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Vijay expresses gratitude to Modi, Rahul Gandhi for congratulatory messages after poll victory

Vijay thanked PM Modi and Rahul Gandhi after his party’s strong Tamil Nadu poll performance, promising governance focused on public welfare.

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Actor vijay

Actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for congratulating him on his party’s strong performance in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections 2026.

Vijay, who leads the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), acknowledged the wishes shared by both leaders following the party’s impressive electoral debut, which has significantly altered the political landscape of Tamil Nadu.

Responding to the Prime Minister on social media platform X, Vijay said that his party’s focus would remain on public welfare and development. He emphasised that governance should rise above political differences and aim at improving the lives of the people.

“The well-being of our people remains our only goal… we shall focus on the state’s progress and welfare,” he said, while also expressing hope for support from the Union government in achieving these objectives.

The TVK has emerged as a major political force in the state, breaking the long-standing dominance of traditional parties and marking a major shift in Tamil Nadu’s political dynamics.

According to early developments, the party has staked claim to form the government and may seek additional support if required to prove its majority in the assembly.

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