Punjab witnessing ‘pro-incumbency’ wave in favour of AAP, says Kejriwal

Speaking to the media after he reached Ludhiana on a two-day visit to the state to hold meetings with the party leaders in preparation for the state assembly elections

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday expressed confidence that his party would break its previous record in the 2027 assembly elections in Punjab, claiming that there is “pro-incumbency” in favour of his outfit.

Arvind Kejriwal said people in Punjab were “highly satisfied” with the state government’s performance over the last four years. (HT)

Speaking to the media after he reached Ludhiana on a two-day visit to the state to hold meetings with the party leaders in preparation for the state assembly elections, Kejriwal said people in Punjab were “highly satisfied” with the state government’s performance over the last four years.

“People are positive about the work done by the AAP government and are in the mood to bring the party back to power in 2027 with more seats,” Kejriwal said during his two-day Punjab visit aimed at holding organisational meetings and preparing the party’s election strategy.

Highlighting the government’s achievements, Kejriwal listed schemes such as free electricity, the ₹10 lakh health insurance cover, supply of canal water for irrigation and the ₹1,000 monthly assistance for women under the ‘Mukh Mantri Mawan Dhian Satikar Yojana’. He said no previous government in Punjab had delivered as much in a four-year tenure.

Name Halwara Airport after freedom fighter Sarabha: Mann

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann, who received Kejriwal at the airport along with party MLAs, said the state government had already passed a resolution in 2023 seeking to name Halwara Airport after freedom fighter Kartar Singh Sarabha and had again approached the Union aviation ministry on the issue.

Mann congratulated Punjabis on the launch of air connectivity between Ludhiana and Delhi, saying the new service would benefit not only Ludhiana residents but people from several neighbouring districts and NRIs as well through connecting international flights. He added that the state government had requested authorities to revise the timing of the Ludhiana-Delhi flight for greater convenience.

The CM also announced plans to utilise Sahnewal Airport, which is lying non-functional, for pilot training purposes. He said the initiative, along with Punjab’s aviation clubs in Patiala and Amritsar, would help youth from humble backgrounds pursue careers in aviation.

Mann praised cabinet minister Sanjeev Arora for his efforts in improving air connectivity in Punjab and alleged that he had been implicated in a “false case” despite working extensively for the Halwara Airport project.