AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the Shiromani Akali Dal, BJP and Congress ruined Punjab by “spreading drugs across the state” during their tenures.
Kejriwal along with CM Bhagwant Mann and other senior AAP leaders took out a roadshow in Mohali to thank voters for the party’s victory in the recently held civic body elections. He urged Punjabis to make Bhagwant Mann chief minister once again in 2027, saying that the state must not allow the good work being carried out by the AAP government to come to a halt. Drumming up support for the 2027 Assembly elections, Kejriwal said, “Now, we have only one task left. We have done so much work in five years, but there is still a lot more that remains to be done. We must make Mann the CM again.”
CM Mann had worked tirelessly to pull Punjab out of that difficult period and bring it back on the path of progress, he said.
He added that no government in Punjab’s history had received as much affection and public support after four-and-a-half years in office as the AAP government enjoys today, contrasting it with previous governments.
“The Congress and SAD & BJP formed governments multiple times. When they completed three or four years in power, the people would not even allow them to enter villages. Such were the wrongdoings committed during their tenure,” he said. He listed the AAP government’s works, including free electricity, health insurance cover worth Rs 10 lakh and availability of canal water at tail end villages.
CM Mann said the traditional political parties had ruled Punjab for decades while protecting each other’s interests.
“For years, these parties looted Punjab and worked through an understanding that ensured power remained within their circle. Earlier, there were only two options before the people and both treated power like a game of musical chairs. They exploited public sentiments and plundered the wealth of Punjab. Today, the people have embraced the broom and cleansed the political system of the state,” CM Mann said.
Today neither Sukhbir Singh Badal nor Amrinder Singh Raja Warring are visible among the people because the masses are standing firmly with the Punjab Government, he said.
CM Mann said the Opposition was unable to accept the pace of development taking place in Punjab. He said Punjab had achieved a major milestone in water management. “This year, Punjab utilised 96% canal water through an improved irrigation system, benefiting farmers across the state. Our government has laid nearly 14,000 km pipes and watercourses and released 21,000 cusecs of water,” he said.
