Democrats Sweep US Midterms; Push To Finalize Indo-US BTA

The US midterm election results for almost all 435 seats in the US House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the US Senate were out on 3 Nov. Elections were also held for 39 state and territorial US governors, attorneys general, and numerous state and local offices. The Democratic Party (DP) gained a majority in the Senate, the House, and among state governorships. As of now, the Democrats have 54 Senators, 254 Representatives, and 28 Governors. Some results are yet to be called. A Democrat, Jyot Singh, a Yale-educated community organizer in his twenties, has become the first Sikh American elected to the Georgia General Assembly. Jyot's campaign had a distinctly Sikh imprint: It began and ended with events at the Guru Nanak Mission Society in Norcross, where community members gathered to celebrate his victory. In the final days of campaigning, Jyot said the Sikh tradition of 'fighting against tyranny, oppression, and injustice for centuries to uplift all communities' would guide his work in the legislature. Meanwhile, US Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the US Department of Justice, Harmeet Kaur Dhillon, resigned on 5 Nov. Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed that he accepted Dhillon’s resignation. He credited her with leading the division 'with conviction ' over the past 18 months. Dhillon said she delayed announcing her resignation at the request of White House Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, until after Election Day. She described serving as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights as the 'honor of a lifetime' and thanked President Donald Trump for the opportunity. The winners will be sworn in on 3 Jan 2027. With around two months left to pass legislation before Democrats take a Senate and House majority, President Trump is expected to rush the India–US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). Ajay Srivastava, founder of the trade think tank Global Trade Research Initiative, said the results will push President Trump to exercise more executive power to pressure India into accepting a deal. He said, 'With foreign policy leverage failing against Russia, China, and Iran, Trump needs a quick win. Expect heightened pressure on India for a trade deal to prove American clout’ (earlier coverage).

SCI Settles 60-Year-Old Dispute, Awards HP 598 MU Per Year

In its 6 Nov judgment in State of Himachal Pradesh (HP) v. Union of India, the Supreme Court of India directed that Panjab and Haryana pay HP 11,973 MU of electricity. This works out to approximately 598 MU a year, to be supplied each year between October 2026–March 2027. The ruling settles a long-running dispute since 1966, when Panjab was reorganized and HP’s share of power from Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) projects, including the Bhakra-Nangal and Beas projects came into contention. HP invoked Article 131 of the Indian Constitution, which gives the SCI the right to adjudicate disputes between states or between the state and the government of India. HP contended that upon reorganization, it became entitled to a defined share in the power generated from the projects. Panjab and Haryana disputed the basis and the extent of such entitlement. The SCI arrived at the figure after accounting for HP’s outstanding capital-cost liability. It recognized historical energy arrears of 13,066 MU but also determined that HP owed USD 45M towards the capital cost attributable to Panjab and Haryana. The court directed that this amount should be adjusted against the state’s electricity entitlement at US Cents 4.1 (Rs 3.85) per unit, reducing the energy due by approximately 1,093 MU. The most immediate financial benefit is likely to come from reducing the amount of electricity HP has to purchase in winter. HP’s power demand rises in the lean months, when river flows decline, hydropower generation falls, and the state has to arrange electricity from outside sources to meet consumer needs. The Himachal Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission estimated a winter power deficit of 2,076 MU between October 2024–March 2025. The additional 598 MU a year from BBMB would be equivalent to about 29% of that estimated deficit. It will not eliminate the state’s winter shortage, but it could reduce the volume of power Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd needs to procure from the market. The award could save HP around USD 32M annually. The state government’s estimate of the benefit has been higher—around USD 60–80M, depending on the rate at which the power is valued (earlier coverage).

Rahul Gandhi in Sangrur | Photo by Dainik Bhaskar

Rahul Gandhi Starts INC Campaign in Panjab

Indian National Congress (INC) leader and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament), Rahul Gandhi initiated the party’s campaign for the 2027 Panjab Assembly election by addressing an Insaaf (Justice) Rally on 4 Nov. The rally at Phaguwal village, Sangrur district—which is rival Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's home turf—was also a show of strength of the INC which has been plagued by factionalism in past months. At the rally, INC national president Mallikarjun Kharge said, 'Across the country, the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) are hollowing out our constitutional values, institutional integrity, and federal character. They are fueling caste, gender, and religion-based atrocities...Whether it is the Modi government at the Center (union government) or the government in Panjab, these are governments of unfulfilled promises. Therefore, we have come here to appeal to you to give strength by making Congress victorious.' In his speech, Gandhi focused on the worsening law and order, growing gangsterism, and the illegal drug trade. He said, 'What happened to Moosewala (Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu) has become a fashion in Panjab today. The mindset that shot Moosewala in front of everyone, fearlessly, is spreading through every nook and corner of Panjab today. Whoever has talent, whoever has skill, like Moosewala, whoever wants to move forward on their own talent, wants to work for Panjab, wants to work for the country, is threatened, scared, and shot in front of everyone.' He said, 'Drugs are the biggest issue in Panjab, be it chitta (an opioid), synthetic drugs, or medical drugs. The AAP came to power and you trusted them. What was their promise? They will eradicate drugs. But I want to ask you—where have they eradicated drugs from?' Unlike earlier INC CM Captain Amarinder Singh, who saw drugs as essentially a law-and-order issue and had, in Dec 2016, promised to 'break the back of the drugs syndicate', or the AAP government's 'War on Drugs', Gandhi focused his speech on economic and social betterment to combat drugs. He said that only through employment generation in small and medium industries, and by protecting farmers’ interests, can Panjab eradicate gangsters and drugs. Meanwhile, an Election Commission of India finding shows the INC's receipts from donations above USD 2.1K have plunged nearly 75% to USD 14M in 2025-26, the steepest annual fall in such contributions in a decade (earlier coverage).

Panjab Chief Minister Bhawant Mann

Employees Reject Govt.’s Diwali Gift, Announce Fresh Protests in DA Case

In a move to appease the protesting government employees and pensioners, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced a 3% increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) as a ‘Diwali gift’ for them on 4 Nov. He said the hike will entail an additional expenditure of USD 35M which will benefit around 400K employees and 350K pensioners. The additional DA will be released in December and paid along with the November salaries and pensions. The protesters rejected the move and announced a month-long agitation against the state government, beginning 13 Nov, with Sangrur as the main protest site from 13–19 Nov. From 1–5 Dec, protests will be staged outside the residences of all 91 Aam Aadmi Party Members of Legislative Assembly and effigies of the ruling party burnt in their constituencies. To culminate their protest, the unions plan to form a human chain from Shambhu to Amritsar on 13 Dec, to demonstrate solidarity among government employees. Furthermore on 5 Nov, the Supreme Court of India (SCI) stayed criminal contempt proceedings initiated by the Punjab and Haryana High Court (PHHC) against Panjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and other officers, in connection with the non-implementation of its ruling on payment of DA to employees and pensioners. On 3 Aug, the PHHC directed the state to release all up-to-date pending DA installments to all its employees and pensioners within a fortnight. Panjab had challenged the judgment before the SCI. On 12 Oct, the PHHC issued a contempt of court notice to Sinha for misrepresenting facts about the filing of the Panjab government's appeal in the SCI. But the SCI’s Justice BV Nagarathna noted that the letter was an internal communication within the state officials and could not give rise to criminal contempt. She said, ‘Tomorrow, if something adverse happens to your party's employee, an adverse order is passed by the High Court (PHHC) sending your party behind bars, and the Chief Secretary takes a stand in your favor. That do[es]n't comply right now [as] we will challenge [it] before High Court. Will you say it's contempt?’ The judge further remarked that the bench did not appreciate such ‘arm-twisting’. Additionally, the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee also announced a DA hike ranging from 1–10% for committee employees (earlier coverage).

Civil Services Exam Results Trigger Row; Students Allege Irregularities

The Punjab State Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination (PSCSCCE) 2025 Mains result has come under scrutiny after candidates alleged irregularities in the shortlisting process and sought an independent investigation. The Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) declared the results on 4 Nov, shortlisting 751 candidates for the interview stage against 331 vacancies. However, soon after, aspirants flagged unusual patterns in the selection list, including groups of consecutive roll numbers, and candidates allegedly being shortlisted despite not appearing for the Mains examination. An analysis circulated by candidates has identified 26 groups of consecutive roll numbers among the 751 candidates shortlisted for interviews. These groups account for 86 candidates. The result soon triggered a political controversy, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleging malpractices and demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry. BJP leaders alleged that 45% of candidates qualified from a single room or specific centers, and called for the resignation of Panjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains. However, working president of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), Sukhwinder Singh Danny Bandala, slammed both the union and the state governments over controversies surrounding the competitive examinations. Bandala stated that repeated questions over the credibility of recruitment exams were jeopardizing the future of the youth. He demanded an independent central probe into the controversy, including scrutiny of seating arrangements, roll number allocation, evaluation of answer sheets and marks awarded to candidates. However, in what seems like a distraction from the results, on 5 Nov, the state government announced a plan to provide free online coaching for the Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination and PSCSCCE examinations to 1K selected college students. The program, led by Bains, will cover 750 students from government colleges and 250 from private colleges. Meanwhile, insisting that the Agnipath (short service) recruitment scheme has not been rolled back, on 4 Nov, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. N S Raja Subramani, announced that all serving Agniveers will be ‘absorbed as regular soldiers after six years of service, provided they are willing to continue, physically fit, and disciplined’. Under the Agnipath scheme initiated in June 2022, soldiers were recruited for a four-year term, with a provision to retain only 25% in regular service. The announcement came just three weeks before 18,300 Agniveers were to exit the armed forces after completing their tenure (earlier coverage).

Prem Singh Chandumajra | Photo of the Tribune

Crisis In SAD Splinter Groups; Neither is Registered or Has Election Symbol

With about 100 days left to Panjab election in early February 2027, two political parties that splintered from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) are facing crises. Factionalism within Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De, WPD) has intensified, with the suspended five-member principal drafting committee challenging the party leadership’s decision to dissolve the organizational structure in 23 districts and appealing to the Sikh community, including the diaspora, to intervene to save the outfit. The committee members questioned the dissolution of the district-level organizational units and alleged that the party was straying from the ideals of Panthic (Sikh Collective) identity, political autonomy, and Sikh sovereignty espoused by its jailed Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament, Amritpal Singh. While a section of the leadership favors a relatively liberal and secular political approach to broaden its electoral appeal, those adhering to a traditional Panthic ideology are uncomfortable with the shift. Also, Dakha’s SAD Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA)—who joined WPD but did not resign from SAD or the Punjab Legislative Assembly—Manpreet Singh Ayali’s rise, as an important strategist has made many within WPD uncomfortable due to his growing influence. Meanwhile, WPD's application for registration with the Election Commission of India, submitted in January 2025, remains pending, forcing it to approach the Delhi High Court. Concurrently, senior leader of Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit, PS) Prem Singh Chandumajra has quit and plans to return to SAD. A three-time Member of Parliament from SAD, Chandumajra had recently met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Shah in Delhi, after which he made the statement. PS too does not have an election symbol and would need to be part of a registered party to contest elections. Responding to Chandumajra’s exodus, PS secretary general Gurpartap Singh Wadala said the party would stay intact, continue its mission of cleansing Panthic politics. He also remained open to a triangular alliance with the BJP, but said the party would not borrow anyone’s symbol. Furthermore, the Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at the premises of ruling Aam Aadmi Party MLA Dr. Amandeep Kaur Arora in Moga. The searches are 'in connection with fraudulent acquisition of government and institutionalized properties, and misappropriation of public funds'. Dr. Amandeep alleged she was pressured 'to join the BJP and get a ministerial position', which she refused as a 'loyal soldier of Arvind Kejriwal' (earlier coverage).

Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib | Photo by Dawn

Historic Gurdwara Reopens in Lahore; CM Mann Gets Pakistan Event Invite

Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib on Temple Road, Lahore has reopened for the first time after the Partition of India in 1947. Pakistan’s Panjab Minorities Minister, Ramesh Singh Arora, who also heads the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, said restoration work was completed and the shrine was open for worship. Additionally, a 49-member group of Pakistani Sikhs, who arrived in India to visit historic Sikh shrines, paid obeisance at the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) and met the apex Sikh management body Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami. The group returned to Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah land route on 5 Nov after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) granted special permission for their return, following intervention by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee. MHA allowed the devotees, hailing from Peshawar, Panja Sahib, Lahore, and Nankana Sahib, to cross into Pakistan through the Attari Integrated Check Post. Concurrently, Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said he has received an invitation to attend the World Punjabi Conference, scheduled to be held in Lahore on 27 Nov. He expressed concern on whether the Indian government would allow the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader to travel, as in the past few years the union government had stopped him from visiting some European countries and lately to Japan. Pakistan said it would consider issuing a visa to CM Mann if he wished to visit the country. Furthermore, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has flagged attacks on Gurdwaras in India and urged the US government to press New Delhi to hold perpetrators of such violence accountable. Though the USCIRF social media post does not provide details, recent attacks have targeted individuals near or in Gurdwaras. On 27 Oct, the son of an AAP village council head and brother of a party leader, Tirath Singh, was shot dead near a Gurdwara in Chite Kalan village, Amritsar district. On 28 Oct, two masked men on a motorcycle entered Gurdwara Manji Sahib in Rajoana Kalan village, Ludhiana district, and fired shots towards the room of the head sewadar (volunteer), Baba Baldev Singh. The police arrested 42-year-old Raj Singh alias Raju. On 3 Nov, Raj died in prison, which his family has called a custodial death due to torture (earlier coverage).

Simranjeet Singh | Photo by The Tribune

Canada to Welcome 622K New PRs; USD 2.5T Wiped Off US Markets

Canada plans to welcome up to 622K new permanent residents by the end of 2027, through a combination of regular immigration admissions and a one-time transition program for temporary residents. The measures, announced on 5 Nov, aim to facilitate the transition of up to 200K temporary residents already in Canada to permanent residence by the end of 2027, and to target 422K permanent resident admissions in 2027. Additionally, details of overseas exploitation of Panjabis by well-settled Panjabi immigrants are emerging, as 28-year-old Simranjeet Singh from Patti, Tarn Taran district committed suicide in Brampton, Canada in October. Simranjeet’s family said that he encountered a series of exploitative employers, financial setbacks, and prolonged uncertainty over his immigration status. With a loan of over USD 26,615 looming, the family said he was forced to take this step. Meanwhile, global stock markets witnessed heavy selling as a sharp sell-off in US technology stocks wiped USD 2.5T off Wall Street's post-election rally, with concerns over a possible slowdown in AI-related data center investments triggering losses across global markets. The selling pressure intensified after all three major US indices recorded their worst single-day losses since April 2025 on 5 Nov, affecting some Panjabi technology companies, though most are privately held. Concurrently, the Anti-Gangster Task Force of Panjab Police, in coordination with the Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell with the support of central agencies, has secured the deportation of fugitive gangster Gurwinder Singh alias Afridi from Ethiopia after a 10-month international manhunt under ‘Operation SHAHID’. Afridi, a key kingpin of the Doni Bal-Prabh Dassuwal gang, is wanted in 35 criminal cases. He had fled abroad using a fake passport issued from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Panjab’s Director General of Police, Gaurav Yadav, said that Afridi, who carried a reward of USD 5,323, was allegedly directing targeted killings, extortion-related firing incidents, and organized criminal networks in the state while operating from abroad. Additionally, the recovery of Israeli-made 9mm Uzi submachine guns has set alarm bells ringing among security and intelligence agencies in Panjab. The recovery comes as the 2027 Assembly elections approach, prompting security agencies to remain vigilant against attempts to create unrest through cross-border arms supplies. Police have arrested Suraj Singh, Rajan, and Gurbhej Singh alias Veru—all residents of Kot Khalsa, Amritsar district, in connection with the seizure (earlier coverage).

Protest by AIDS Control Employees; HPV Vaccination Campaign Fails

Panjab AIDS Control employees announced a statewide protest on 3 Nov over delays in meeting their demands, including a 20% salary hike, health insurance and resolution of pay anomalies. The protesters said Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema had directed the Health department on 19 Jul to grant employees a 20% salary hike within 10 days. However, nearly three months later, no financial benefit had been extended to them. Another major demand of the protesters concerns the transfer of Joint Director Dr. Sukhwinder Kaur. They claimed that more than 250 employees had submitted written complaints against her, alleging dictatorial behavior and harassment of female staff. Additionally, Panjab’s Safai Sewak Union organized a protest rally at Mehatpur, Jalandhar district, to oppose the delay in regularizing sanitation workers. The union urged the administration to review the status of the case, complete the screening process, and issue appointment letters to eligible employees within a stipulated timeframe, adding that if their demand was not addressed they would launch an intensified agitation. Meanwhile, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign launched nationwide in February 2026, has essentially failed in Panjab with a mere 21% coverage. Comparatively, the campaign had a 90% coverage rate in neighboring Himachal Pradesh. The numbers are worrying because HPV vaccination is one of the most effective tools to prevent cervical cancer—a disease that continues to claim the lives of thousands of women in India every year. Experts believe the low uptake of the vaccine in Panjab is due to misinformation, hesitancy, and poor awareness. Furthermore, the Panjab police have decided to close the investigation into a First Information Report registered in Kapurthala on allegations of rape of a student on Lovely Professional University campus that had triggered widespread violence and vandalism on 26 Sep. The violence broke out after unverified reports began circulating alleging that an outsider had raped a female student at the university. Concurrently, a PhD scholar, Raina Dhir from Ludhiana, died under suspicious circumstances after alleging harassment by a youth. Additionally, Assistant Inspector General of Police (Counter-Intelligence and Anti-Narcotic Task Force), Pragya Jain from Ludhiana, was among the 490 recipients of the Union Home Minister’s medal for excellent work and high professional standards in policing (earlier coverage).

Shanthi K. making hot paniyaram in Chandigarh | Photo by The Migration Story

10.

Remembering the Laborers Who Built Chandigarh as it Turns 60

Seventy years ago, Dalit (marginalized caste) laborers from northern Tamil Nadu traveled to lay the roads, plant the gardens, and build India’s first planned city, Chandigarh. The grandchildren of these laborers speak Hindi (instead of Tamil), call Chandigarh home, and still carry the names clerks wrote down for their grandparents. These laborers barely appear in the city’s records. As most of these migrants didn’t know Hindi, they couldn’t correct them. The misspellings and wrong ages carried on in service books and pension files. 55-year-old Gangai Ammal, 55, whose name was recorded as Kang Vail, was given an older age and retired before her time. P. Govind Vel, birth name Kuzhandaivel, was 19 when he left Maroor, Cuddalore district, in 1975. He says, ‘There were droughts in place.’ So, when a villager who returned from Chandigarh said the government was hiring and paying well to build in the city, Vel went with 11 others. The government was paying US Cents 6.7 (Rs 6.25) per day, while they made only US Cents 2 (Rs 2) back home, and USD Cents 5.6 (Rs 5.25) for a job in Panjab and Haryana. Then 14-year-old T. Rajavel has created over 2K cement statues for government gardens and bungalows of judges and officers. He retires in four months and says, ‘After me, no one is there to make such sculptures.’ Another migrant, A. Murugesan, who came in 1968, says, ‘Chandigarh was nothing but kulla kaadu (scrubland).’ In the scrub behind Panjab University, they made huts of sugarcane stalks and fashioned shelter from discarded pipelines. The laborers were moved from site to site until they were allotted houses at Maloya in 1983. Even as Chandigarh turned 60 and Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar (earlier Mohali) 51 on 1 Nov, neither city planned any event to mark its foundation day. SAS Nagar’s foundation dates to 1 Nov 1975, when then Panjab Chief Minister Giani Zail Singh laid its foundation stone near Kamla Market, Phase I. However, 51 years later, the stone can no longer be traced. The local signboard artist, Baljeet Singh Pupneja, who crafted the marker in 1975, says, ‘I painted the letters on that stone with my own hands. It had the name of Mohali and the date in red enamel. Now it’s gone. Nobody knows where it disappeared’ (earlier coverage).

Notes

Updates

IN: Asian Champions Trophy: India clinch third straight title after beating Japan 4-1 in hockey final (earlier coverage).
IN: 26 days after murder, Parvinder Jhota cremated in Mansa; protest called off (earlier coverage).
IN: Huge fire in 4 coaches of Karmabhoomi Express in Panjab, short circuit suspected.

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Democrats Sweep US Midterms; Push To Finalize Indo-US BTA