Corridors of Power | Punjabis inviting CBI, wolves in Congress pack, bungalow no. 50

For a state that has often bristled at Delhi's interference, this is quite a turn: people in Punjab are inviting central agencies to investigate corruption.

After the CBI raids linked to people associated with the chief minister's office, residents of Gharachon village in Sangrur showered flower petals on a vehicle carrying the agency's officials. An activist from Mansa went live on social media to invite the CBI to his town too, promising the team a similar welcome.

The irony is hard to miss. Punjab has a long history of asserting its rights against what it sees as the Centre's interference. The Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation have often faced accusations of being used to settle political scores. But when the allegations concern corruption closer home, the reception seems rather different. Instead of protests and slogans against central agencies, there are flowers and invitations to investigate.

Bungalow no. 50, not the best address

Some government houses come with a long list of occupants. The Punjab government's bungalow number 50 in Sector 2, Chandigarh, is also collecting a list of controversies. The house was used as a residence-cum-camp office by Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha before it was vacated and renovated for Arvind Kejriwal. The plan was dropped after the Sheesh Mahal controversy erupted. The ruling AAP later began using it as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's camp office, where meetings were held and party VIPs even stayed there.

Now, following the CBI raids, the bungalow is again being discussed, this time as a possible jinx for the government. Some leaders who believe in Vastu say the house has a dosha. There is no shortage of political explanations for its recent history, but the bungalow once saw the late Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal staying there as leader of the Opposition, former advocate-general Atul Nanda and former deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Randhawa.

Pilot takes the wheel

Congress Punjab in-charge Sachin Pilot's driving Pargat Singh, the newly appointed state chief, to the state was watched closely, particularly at a time when the AAP's Delhi leadership is facing criticism on several fronts. Congress general secretaries in charge of states are often accused of interfering too much in local affairs, leaving state leaders little room to function independently. Pilot, however, got behind the wheel while Pargat travelled alongside him. The picture offered a neat contrast: the central leadership could drive, but the state leader was the one being taken to Punjab to steer the party there. Of course, a car ride cannot settle the Congress's old argument over who calls the shots in a state unit. Pargat will have to do that himself. For now, Pilot has delivered the message quite literally, driving the new state party chief into Punjab.

Wolves in the Congress pack

An animated video showing a group of old, spent wolves turning on a younger, hardworking member of the pack has become a talking point in Congress circles. Its timing is intriguing, coming just as the party is trying to project unity following the change of guard in Punjab. The video names no one, but that has hardly stopped speculation about who the characters might represent. The younger wolf is widely being linked to Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, the former state Congress chief who was recently removed from the post, while the older ones have been left to the viewers' imagination.

The video has also evoked talk of the tall poppy syndrome in the Congress -- the tendency to cut down those who rise too high or stand out from the rest. Whether that was the message intended or merely the interpretation it has invited is another matter. But with the younger wolf being linked to Warring, the symbolism has given party insiders plenty to chew over.

With Pargat Singh now at the helm, the party has much to gain from presenting a united front. Yet the animation has prompted questions about whether the leadership change has settled old rivalries or merely given them a new vent.