The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday formally launched its campaign for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections from Ludhiana, with chief minister Bhagwant Mann unveiling the party’s election pamphlet at the Pakhowal Road Indoor Stadium.
Addressing the gathering, Mann said the AAP government had delivered more than it had promised and announced that the next instalments under the ‘Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojana’ would be credited to beneficiaries’ accounts on October 1.
Mann said lakhs of AAP workers would distribute the party’s pamphlet door-to-door across the state and urged people to support what he described as an honest government.
Targeting the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mann said the return of these traditional parties to power would put at risk the gains made in free electricity, canal water for farmers, daytime power supply, government jobs without bribes, women’s financial assistance, healthcare, government schools and social security.
Targets Oppn over drug menace
Mann criticised opposition parties over the issue of drugs in Punjab. “Those who were part of governments under which the drug menace flourished are now attempting to portray themselves as its solution. The people of Punjab clearly remember and can well distinguish between political rhetoric and actual work on the ground. Those who brought drugs to Punjab are now carrying out a ‘nasha mukt yatra’,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Mann criticised opposition parties over the issue of drugs in Punjab. “Those who were part of governments under which the drug menace flourished are now attempting to portray themselves as its solution. The people of Punjab clearly remember and can well distinguish between political rhetoric and actual work on the ground. Those who brought drugs to Punjab are now carrying out a ‘nasha mukt yatra’,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Questioning the BJP’s position on the issue, Mann said: “How can the BJP claim that it will rid Punjab of drugs when it was part of the system under which this menace flexed its muscles?”
Referring to the seizure of narcotics at Gujarat’s Mundra port, Mann said the issue could not be addressed through what he termed “political theatrics”.
“The BJP must answer the people of Punjab about what happened at Mundra port. It cannot come to Punjab with a yatra and expect people to forget everything,” he said.
Highlights AAP govt’s initiatives
Recalling the AAP government’s first cabinet decision in 2022, Mann said the government had decided to provide 300 units of free electricity to eligible households from July 1 that year. He also highlighted measures taken to strengthen the state’s power infrastructure, including the acquisition of the Goindwal Sahib thermal power plant.
Taking aim at the Congress, BJP and SAD, the CM said opposition parties should present their own programmes and policies instead of only criticising the state government.
Statewide campaign to focus on govt’s work
Outlining the party’s statewide door-to-door campaign starting September 20, Mann said the AAP would take details of the government’s work directly to people across the state and seek their feedback on what more needed to be done.
He said the government’s focus would remain on agriculture, youth, education, employment, healthcare, infrastructure, sports and welfare. “Punjab’s future should be determined by its people and its own strengths,” Mann said.
Addressing the gathering, Punjab affairs in-charge Manish Sisodia called for another term for the Bhagwant Mann-led government. “We have to make Bhagwant Mann the CM of Punjab again. For 4.5 years, the Bhagwant Mann government did tremendous work, but the BJP used the ED, CBI and every other instrument at its disposal to stop us. Despite all this, Punjab has moved forward. To take Punjab further ahead, we need the AAP government to return to power,” Sisodia said.
Govt helping turn youth’s ideas into reality: CM
Addressing the Indian School of Business (ISB) Leadership Summit-2026 on the Mohali campus, Mann said his government is creating a robust ecosystem of opportunities, financial support and institutional backing to turn the youth’s ideas into reality.
He said Punjab’s youth have no dearth of talent or energy, and his government is focused on providing them the right platform to showcase their abilities, build enterprises and create employment.
He congratulated ISB on completing 25 years and said institutions like it play a big role in giving the right direction to the immense energy of the youth. He said the government has established a startup centre to turn youth’s ideas into reality, while the ‘Business Blasters’ programme provides seed money to students, and promising ideas from Schools of Eminence are being taken forward for patents.
Addressing a gathering during the Lok Milni at Balian in Sangrur, the CM said his government had shifted the focus of governance towards ordinary citizens, farmers, youth, women and students.
(With inputs from HTC Mohali and Sangrur)