The political storm in Punjab intensified on Sunday after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led State Government replaced the Chief Minister with the Chief Secretary as the chairman of all urban development and planning authorities, including PUDA, GMADA, GLADA, BDA, ADA, PDA and others. The decision, passed through a Cabinet resolution, has triggered a united uproar from the Opposition — Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — accusing AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal of engineering a silent coup to remote-control Punjabs governance through unelected Delhi-based aides and bureaucrats.   Opposition leaders have lambasted the move as an unprecedented erosion of the Chief Ministers constitutional authority, alleging that it is part of a broader plan to wrest control of Punjabs land, resources, and development funds. They claimed that the decision is not just administrative, but political — stripping Punjabs elected leadership of all meaningful power and handing it over to a bureaucrat who allegedly reports directly to Kejriwal. The timing, they pointed out, coincided with government plans to acquire thousands of acres of land, including over 24,000 acres in Ludhiana, fueling fears of forced land pooling and resource exploitation.   Congress MLA Pargat Singh said that it was for the first time in Punjabs history that the Chief Ministers powers had been taken away just to facilitate land grabbing in Punjab. Questioning Kejriwals intentions, he added, Has Arvind Kejriwal taken over these powers because the Punjab CM refused to sign off on destroying villages and farmland?   Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also slammed the decision as an attempt to weaken the constitutional institution of the Chief Minister. He said: No excuse can justify replacing an elected CM with a bureaucrat. This is an erosion of democratic accountability. The Chief Minister is answerable to the people and the legislature. A bureaucrat is not. Warring warned that the public must remain vigilant to such backdoor power grabs, even when carried out in the name of administrative reform.   Launching a scathing attack on AAPs leadership, the Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Partap Singh Bajwa called the Cabinet decision a hostile takeover of Punjabs governance by the Delhi-based leadership. This is no longer governance; its occupation, he declared. Bhagwant Mann has mortgaged Punjabs self-respect for the perks and privileges of remaining in power. Kejriwal and his non-Punjabi associates now control Punjab through bureaucrats, he added.   Bajwa further cautioned that non-elected appointees like Seema Bansal, Anurag Kundu, Shoikat Roy, and Vaibhav Maheshwari — who have no cultural or administrative roots in Punjab — are being handed command over critical policy decisions. This is not decentralization — its colonization, Bajwa said, warning that elected ministers themselves could soon be sidelined. This Cabinet decision is a signal that even ministers will be made subordinate to bureaucrats reporting to Delhi, he said.   SAD also denounced the decision as unconstitutional and illegal. Senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said that the Cabinets move violated Section 4(2), Chapter II of the Punjab Regional and Town Planning Act, 1995, which mandates the Chief Minister as chairman of the planning board. This decision is arbitrary, illegal, and aimed at disempowering Punjabs leadership, Cheema said, asserting that the SAD will challenge it on legal grounds.   SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal also accused Chief Minister Mann of a complete surrender to Arvind Kejriwal. By appointing the Chief Secretary as chairman of all development authorities, Mann has handed over control of Punjabs land and development funds to his Delhi boss. This is a deliberate strategy to loot Punjabs wealth on the eve of a land acquisition drive, Sukhbir said. He also questioned the practicality of a system where Cabinet Ministers would now report to bureaucrats. Never in Punjabs history has a CM been replaced by a bureaucrat as head of these boards. This is not just unconstitutional — it is humiliating, he added.   BJP joined the chorus of condemnation. BJP spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal termed it proof that Punjab is being run remotely by Delhi. In a sharp social media post, he said: CM Bhagwant Mann has officially handed over all development bodies to the Chief Secretary, who in turn is working under Delhis command. This is the final stamp for a dummy CM. He also highlighted the appointment of Delhi-based AAP loyalists in key decision-making roles, accusing the party of siphoning off Punjabs resources to fuel Kejriwals ambitions in the capital.   Baliawal further warned against the looming threat of land pooling schemes under the guise of development, which he said could rob farmers of their lands without transparent compensation mechanisms. This is not governance. This is an institutionalized land grab, he said.   BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh called it an unconstitutional bureaucratic coup aimed at handing over Punjabs assets to Kejriwals inner circle. Terming the move a direct assault on democratic governance, Chugh questioned whether CM Mann and his Cabinet would now report to a bureaucrat. This isnt governance — its daylight robbery, he said, warning that the decision precedes AAPs land acquisition plans, including 24,000 acres in Ludhiana. He accused the party of turning Punjab into a colony controlled by unelected Delhi loyalists and demanded immediate rollback of the order. The BJP will not allow this betrayal of Punjabs dignity, Chugh asserted.   While the sources within the government claimed that it is meant to streamline development processes, the opposition alleged that it is a smokescreen for deeper political manipulation by Delhi.   AAP DEFENDS THE MOVE: CALLS IT A REFORM-DRIVEN TO FAST-TRACK GROWTH Facing a barrage of criticism from opposition parties, AAP on Sunday strongly defended the Cabinets recent decision to appoint the Chief Secretary as the chairperson of all local urban development and planning authorities. Rejecting the oppositions claims of a bureaucratic coup and power snatching from the Chief Minister, AAP leaders called the move a pragmatic step to decentralize decision-making and accelerate development.   AAP Punjab president and Renewable Energy Minister Aman Arora clarified that the administrative reform does not in any way curtail the powers of the Chief Minister. The Chief Secretary will only chair the meetings and facilitate decisions for timely execution of proposals. However, all final approvals lie with the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) and the Cabinet, which is headed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. So where is the question of undermining his authority? he asked.   Arora further noted that several states — including Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh — have adopted similar models where development bodies are chaired by bureaucrats for administrative efficiency. This move aims to eliminate bottlenecks in project approvals and bring Punjab on par with high-performing states in infrastructure development, he added.   Backing Aroras assertion, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema hailed the decision as visionary and future-focused. This is not about centralization of power. Its about empowering the administration to resolve routine matters swiftly, while the CM remains focused on larger state-level policy direction. Such functional delegation is the hallmark of good governance, said Cheema.   He pointed out that in cities like Noida, Kanpur, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad, development authorities are commonly headed by senior IAS officers — not Chief Ministers. The opposition is attempting to stir unnecessary controversy over a well-thought-out administrative mechanism, just to create political noise, he remarked.   Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO also defended the amendment to Section 29(3) of the Punjab Regional and Urban Planning and Development Act (PRTPD), saying that it will streamline functioning across urban bodies such as GMADA, GLADA, PUDA, ADA, PDA and others. This decision will ensure quicker approvals, stronger inter-departmental coordination, and real-time redressal of urban infrastructure issues. We studied successful models in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh before moving forward, he revealed.   Highlighting the long-term benefits, ETO added that involving departments like Revenue, Industries, Water Supply and Sanitation in development boards will make the system more integrated and transparent. It is a major step toward institutional accountability and faster execution of projects. This is governance, not politics, he said.   Rejecting the oppositions narrative, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains lashed out at the Akali Dal, stating, Those who turned development boards into tools for land misuse and private gain during their rule are now questioning a reform that aims to serve the people. He added that the AAP Government is committed to a governance model that prioritizes transparency, speed, and peoples welfare over red tape and political theatrics.   AAP leaders also rubbished allegations of Delhis interference in Punjabs governance. The oppositions claim that Punjab is being remote-controlled from Delhi is laughable. The Cabinet took a collective decision after in-depth study and consultation with experts. The aim is to build robust systems, not personalities, said Aman Arora.

Stay updated with all the Chandigarh Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.