Arvind Kejriwal meets with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and MLAs, discusses plan to make Punjab model state

NEW DELHI: AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal held a key meeting in Delhi with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, cabinet ministers, and MLAs on Tuesday. He thanked them for their hard work in the Delhi elections and discussed making Punjab a model state for the country.

Sharing details, CM Bhagwant Mann said Punjab will set an example with its work in education, healthcare, electricity, and water. The government is accelerating progress and exceeding its guarantees—shutting down 17 toll plazas and ending multiple pensions for MLAs, actions never even promised.

After the meeting, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann stated, “AAP’s Punjab team worked tirelessly in the streets of Delhi, and for this, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia expressed their gratitude to everyone.”

He added that in Punjab, the AAP government is actively working for the public’s benefit in electricity, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and roads. Now, we must accelerate these efforts. “In Delhi, over the past ten years, our government has carried out unprecedented work—so much so that people still say they had never seen or heard of such progress before AAP came to power. Wins and losses are part of the journey, but we will apply Delhi’s experience in Punjab. We have already established over 850 Mohalla Clinics, revamped hospitals, and launched schools of eminence, where students are excelling in competitive exams.”

Emphasising AAP’s commitment to governance over divisive politics, the Punjab CM added, “We must work together. Our party is known for its commitment to public service, not caste, religion, hate, or money-driven politics. We respect the mandate given by the people of Delhi. Today, our entire Delhi team was also present here, and we have resolved to make Punjab a model state in the remaining two years of our government. Be it cities, villages, businesses, shops, or farmers, we will develop Punjab in a way that the entire country can take inspiration from. Our volunteers are fully dedicated and will not be swayed by any temptations.”

The Punjab CM underscored the state’s historic role in national progress. He asserted that Punjabis have always led the fight for the country—whether it was the freedom struggle or the Green Revolution that ensured food security for the nation. Even AAP’s first four MPs were from Punjab. In 2017, we emerged as the opposition, and in 2022, we won 92 out of 117 seats. Our ancestors were not big politicians; we are deeply connected to the grassroots, which is why we always stay among the people.

“We will propel Punjab forward in sports, trade, and every sector. We have already earned the trust of the business community, with major companies like Tata Steel and Sanathan Textiles investing in Punjab. Large-scale efforts are underway to generate employment. In three years, we have provided over 50,000 government jobs—without bribery or recommendations, purely on merit. In many families, two or three members have secured government jobs together. Today, we all met Arvind Kejriwal to discuss our collective vision,” he further added.

The Punjab CM said Punjab’s law and order is better than that of many other states. If it weren’t, big companies wouldn’t be investing here. The first thing companies inquire about is the state’s law and order situation. We hold regular meetings with police officers, whether it’s about eliminating drugs or tackling other crimes. Being a border state, we have to put in extra effort, and we do. It is our duty, and we will continue to improve.

Responding to Congress leader Partap Bajwa’s claims that he might leave AAP, Bhagwant Mann dismissed them as baseless. He said, “What difference does it make what he says? We have built this party with our blood and sweat—leaving is out of the question. The real issue is that party-hopping is a culture within their ranks. One of their leaders was beating drums, claiming that AAP had lost, while people were commenting that Congress itself had scored zero and was still celebrating. They don’t worry about their own problems; they just look for faults in others. Instead of counting our MLAs, Partap Bajwa should count his own in Delhi, where Congress has been reduced to just three. This is their nature.”

Bhagwant Mann stated, “Everyone knows the extent of goondaism and money power BJP used in the Delhi elections. Every few hours, we had to approach the Election Commission with complaints—BJP workers were distributing jackets, shoes, sarees, chains, and cash. They were getting votes deleted and fake ones created. This is how they operated. Despite everything, we accept the people’s mandate with all humility. Since 2014, we have been contesting elections in Punjab, but we have never resorted to such goondaism. That is not who we are. We win with love, not by intimidation.”

He said, “We will deliver on every guarantee we have given—and more. We shut down 17 toll plazas in Punjab, saving people nearly Rs. 62 lakh daily. Even those travelling to Vaishno Devi through Punjab now save money. We had not even promised this. Additionally, previous MLAs used to draw 6-7 pensions at once. As soon as we came to power, we limited it to just one. Public money belongs to the public. People pay taxes, and they should get the benefits in return. We are successfully implementing this in Punjab.”