Bhagwant Mann launches AAP's 2027 poll pamphlet, urges Punjab not to change govt

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday launched the Aam Aadmi Party's election pamphlet for the 2027 Assembly polls and urged people to back what he called an "honest" government in the state once again. He said the party would now take its work directly to the people and explain both the promises it has fulfilled and the steps it took beyond its original guarantees.

Targeting the Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP, Mann said a return of the traditional parties would put at risk measures such as free electricity, canal water for farmers, daytime power supply, government jobs without bribes, financial assistance for women and healthcare. He also said lakhs of AAP workers would take the pamphlet from door to door.

Urging people not to change the government, CM Bhagwant Mann said, "Do not change the doctor who is treating your illness. Our government has now gained several years of experience in administration and has learnt how to deliver public services. If a doctor is treating your illness, why would you change the doctor?"

He said Punjab's performance in education had improved sharply after the state's reforms.

Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia, AAP Punjab president Aman Arora, Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and state working president Amansher Singh Sherry Kalsi were present at the event.

In its 10-point poll pamphlet, the AAP said voting for the Congress, Akalis or the BJP could be "very dangerous" as they would stop free electricity, shut down Aam Aadmi Clinics, stop financial assistance for women, halt tirath yatra and end free medical treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh at private hospitals. The pamphlet also claimed that if the Akalis and the BJP returned to power, drugs would be "sold openly" in Punjab again, canal water would be "sold" to Rajasthan and Haryana, and farmers would have to stay awake all night waiting for electricity.

The pamphlet further said that if these parties came to power, people would again have to pay bribes for government jobs, adding that Bhagwant Mann had ended bribery in recruitment with great difficulty.

Addressing the gathering, Mann said those who were part of governments during the spread of the drug menace were now trying to present themselves as the answer through a Nasha Mukt Yatra.

"How can the BJP claim it will rid Punjab of drugs when it was part of the system under which this menace flexed its muscles?" he asked. He added that people could clearly remember events and could distinguish between political rhetoric and actual work on the ground.

On groundwater depletion, Mann said excessive dependence on groundwater had made farming increasingly unsustainable and that expanding canal irrigation could help reverse the trend. "We are receiving encouraging reports from villages about rising groundwater levels after canal water pipelines were laid. This is a positive sign," he said.

On employment, Mann said his government had provided around 71,000 government jobs and that the recruitments were carried out transparently and on merit. He said opposition parties should place their own programmes before the people instead of only criticising the state government. "Have you ever seen these parties talking about Punjab's welfare and problems? They only want to abuse me, but they should tell the people what they will do for Punjab," he said.

Cautioning people against misleading digital content, Bhagwant Mann said, "People must be cautious about misleading videos and social media content. Political campaigns will increasingly use digital platforms to circulate fake videos."

Speaking at the event, Sisodia said, "We have to make Bhagwant Mann the Punjab chief minister again. For four and a half years, the 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."

The launch of the pamphlet marked the start of the party's effort to present its record, defend its welfare measures and seek another term in Punjab.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 19, 2026 22:53 IST