A massive administrative overhaul is underway in Punjab as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led State Government attempts to regain control and strengthen governance after the party’s crushing defeat in the recently-concluded Delhi Assembly elections. In a series of bold and rapid decisions, 21 senior IPS officers, including a police commissioner and seven Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs), have been transferred; the Department of Administrative Reforms has been abolished; and all 220 state-appointed law officers have been asked to resign.
The scale of these changes suggested an urgent attempt by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to assert authority and shield Punjab from the political fallout of AAP’s humiliating electoral loss in Delhi, where even party supremo Arvind Kejriwal – former chief minister, and senior leader Manish Sisodia – former deputy chief minister, were ousted from their respective constituencies.
These latest actions are part of a broader government crackdown, which has already seen the suspension of a Deputy Commissioner on corruption charges, the dismissal of 52 police officers, and the removal of Punjab’s Vigilance Bureau chief. While the Mann Government is presenting these moves as an effort to clean up governance and improve efficiency, political observers believe the measures are a damage-control strategy to prevent AAP’s Punjab stronghold from slipping away.
With Punjab now being AAP’s only state in power, the party’s political survival depends on ensuring smooth governance, tackling corruption, and maintaining law and order. The aggressive administrative purge signaled that the Mann Government is leaving no room for complacency as it tries to reinforce its credibility.
Massive Police Reshuffle: 21 IPS Transferred
In a massive shake-up in the police department, the Government on Friday ordered the transfer of 21 senior IPS officers, including the Police Commissioners of a key city Jalandhar, besides nine districts getting the new police chiefs. This major reshuffle appeared to be aimed at tightening law enforcement, particularly as the state battles rising drug-related crimes and gang violence.
One of the most notable changes is in Jalandhar, where Commissioner of Police Swapan Sharma (2009 batch) has been moved to the post of DIG, Ferozepur Range. In his place, 2006-batch officer Dhanpreet Kaur has been appointed as the new Jalandhar Police Commissioner. Meanwhile, 2008-batch Jagdale Nilambari Vijay has been assigned as DIG, Ludhiana Range, replacing Dhanpreet Kaur.
The transfers include a mix of experienced officers taking over key positions and first-time SSP appointments. 1994-batch Sudhanshu S Srivastava, who was serving as ADGP Security, will now also handle ADGP Provisioning. Surrender Lamba (2013 batch) has moved from Hoshiarpur SSP to AIG, Personnel-I, Punjab; Amritsar SSP Charanjit Singh (2013 batch) has been reassigned as AIG Intelligence; Gurdaspur SSP Dayama Harish Kumar Omprakash (2014 batch) has been transferred to AIG Intelligence, Punjab, SAS Nagar; Ferozepur SSP Saumya Mishra (2015 batch) has been appointed as AIG, Personnel-II, Punjab; Fatehgarh Sahib SSP Rajiv Grewal (2015 batch) will now serve as AIG, Technical Services, Punjab; Ludhiana Rural SSP Navneet Bains (2015 batch), has been appointed as AIG, Crime.
Nine districts that get new SSPs are Ferozepur – Gurmeet Singh Chouhan; Muktsar Sahib – Akhil Chaudhary; Hoshiarpur – Sandeep Kumar Malik; Ludhiana – Ankur Gupta; Fatehgarh Sahib – Shubham Aggarwal; Gurdaspur – Advitya; Amritsar Rural – Maninder Singh; Barnala – Mohammad Sarfraz Alam; and Khanna – Jyoti Yadav.
Jyoti Yadav is the wife of senior AAP leader and Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains and was earlier posted as SP in Mohali.
Administrative Reforms Dept Abolished
In a rare and significant move, the Mann Government has completely dissolved the Department of Administrative Reforms. The decision, made official via a notification issued by Punjab Governor, means that Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, who previously oversaw the department, will now be left only with the Department of NRI Affairs.
The Administrative Reforms Department was originally tasked with streamlining governance and implementing bureaucratic improvements. Its dissolution indicated a major structural shift, potentially signaling the centralization of administrative decision-making under the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
Opposition leaders have criticized the move, arguing that instead of reforming administration, the government is dismantling key oversight mechanisms. However, officials close to the Mann Government maintained that this step is part of a broader effort to cut bureaucratic red tape, and improve governance efficiency.
All 220 Law Officers Asked to Resign
In another sweeping measure, the Punjab Government has asked all 220 law officers, representing the state in the Supreme Court, Punjab and Haryana High Court, and various tribunals to resign. The state Advocate-General Gurminder Singh, confirmed the move, maintaining that these resignations are a part of a routine process as the officers’ one-year tenure will end this February.
Though framed as a technical measure, the move is seen as part of a larger administrative revamp, possibly to appoint a new set of legal officers more aligned with the Mann Government’s policies. The resignations have yet to be formally accepted, indicating that the Government may retain some officers while replacing others.
The decision comes at a time when Punjab is engaged in several critical legal battles, including disputes with the Central Government over fiscal policies. The restructuring of the legal team could have major implications for how Punjab fights its cases in the higher courts.
What Triggered These Decisions?
While the Punjab Government has justified these moves as governance reforms, and routine affairs, the political analysts argued that they are a direct response to AAP’s electoral collapse in Delhi.
In a stunning electoral rout, AAP was wiped out in the Delhi Assembly elections, losing to the BJP in a state that had been its stronghold for nearly a decade. Even the party chief Kejriwal and his former deputy Manish Sisodia lost their seats, dealing a major blow to AAP’s national ambitions.
The defeat in Delhi left Punjab as the only state where AAP is in power, making it crucial for the party to strengthen its governance and avoid a similar fate in the 2027 Punjab elections.
AAP’s loss in Delhi was largely attributed to allegations of corruption and governance failures. Learning from this, the Mann Government in Punjab has taken proactive steps to crack down on corruption, including suspending Sri Muktsar Sahib Deputy Commissioner on corruption charges; dismissing 52 police officers accused of malpractices like harassment and extortion; changing the Punjab’s Vigilance Bureau’s chief-director to strengthen anti-corruption efforts.
The scale and speed of these decisions, post Delhi debacle, underscored the AAP Government’s attempt to course-correct after party’s devastating defeat in Delhi. With AAP’s political survival at stake, Punjab has now become the party’s last proving ground, and the success or failure of these drastic reforms will determine AAP’s future in state and also in Indian politics.
