Punjab CM Mann, Kejriwal kickstart Ludhiana West bypoll campaign
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal launched the party’s Ludhiana West bypoll campaign on Monday, addressing two public meetings in Jawahar Nagar Camp and Haibowal besides meeting industrialists.
Accompanied by AAP’s Ludhiana West candidate Rajya Sabha member Sanjeev Arora, the leaders sought public support, vowing to tackle corruption, drug menace, and decades of neglect by previous regimes.
The bypolls were announced post the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Gogi Bassi, who died in an accidental firing on January 10 at his house.
Addressing the crowd, Kejriwal said no other chief minister apart from Mann had the courage to directly ask people for feedback on the government’s performance.
“Opposition parties don’t have the guts to do this because they looted Punjab for 75 years. Has any past chief minister or a cabinet minister ever come among the people for feedback? They spread filth and robbed people for 75 years, and while it cannot be cleaned in just three years, we are doing it with our broom,” the former Delhi chief minister said, reinforcing AAP’s anti-corruption narrative.
On AAP’s anti-drug drive, he stated, “What you have seen is just the trailer, the real picture is yet to come.”
Kejriwal accused Congress, BJP, and Akali Dal of exploiting Punjab’s resources for personal gains. “For decades, Punjab was looted while people suffered. Now, under AAP, corruption is being uprooted, and development is the priority,” he said.
Highlighting specific initiatives for Ludhiana West, he assured voters that Arora had already started work on repairing broken roads, upgrading power infrastructure, and improving civic amenities.
Chief minister Mann said that in three years of governance, the AAP has not been involved in any corruption or wrongdoings, a record unmatched by prior administrations. “The government is addressing long-neglected civic issues, such as sewerage problems that were unresolved for 15 to 20 years. These legacy issues are now being systematically tackled under the AAP’s governance,” the CM said. Meanwhile, Arora announced a grant of ₹10 lakh from his MP fund for a government school in Haibowal.
Reacting to the rallies, Punjab Congress working president Bharat Bhushan Ashu challenged Kejriwal and Mann to list the state government’s achievements before seeking votes.
Ashu, a former minister, who has represented the Ludhiana West assembly segment twice, alleged that both the AAP leaders were again “making promises without fulfilling any.”
“AAP is yet to fulfil the promise of giving ₹1,000 to every woman of Punjab. The AAP has been in power in Punjab for three years and is still seeking more time,” he said
Former BJP state general secretary and senior leader Jeevan Gupta also criticised Kejriwal for misleading the people of Punjab. “Besides unfulfilled promise made to women, Kejriwal had vowed to make Punjab drug-free, but the problem has worsened. There is no end to sand mafia,” Gupta said.
1984 riot victims hold protest
The victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots staged a protest outside the venue and accused security personnel of manhandling them. Gurdeep Kaur, one of the victims, said, “We weren’t here to protest but to seek an appointment with CM Mann. For three years, we’ve been trying to meet him, but no one listens.”
“They behaved worse than previous SAD and Congress governments. The way people have taught them a lesson in Delhi, Punjab will do the same,” she said.
