Ludhiana, June 5
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) achieved another major boost before the Ludhiana West Assembly by-election today, while the Congress Party suffered a significant setback. On Thursday, about two dozen Congress families, including Independent candidate Chandan Chhanaliya, joined AAP.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann formally inducted all the leaders and families into the party in the presence of Ludhiana West AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora and party MP Dr. Raj Kumar Chabbewal and extended them a warm welcome.
Among those who joined the party were educationist Simmi Chopra Pashan, Vinayak Pashan, Chanderjit Karan, Ranbir Singh (retired police officer and former international volleyball player), Advocate Jeevanjot, Advocate Mamta Arora, and Manish Aggarwal.
From Congress, prominent individuals who joined included Pawandeep Singh (Ward No. 57), Varun Sharma (Ward No. 60), Priyanka Sharma (Ward No. 60), Saurav Arora (Ward No. 57), Raja Singh (Ward No. 73), Rajesh Bindra (Ward No. 73), Ashwani Bhardwaj (Ward No. 73), Vicky Gaurav (Ward No. 73), Ashu Sharma (Ward No. 73), Yashpal Sharma (Ward No. 73), Ravi Bali, Rajinder Kaur, Pitu Gill, Kamal Dhir, Rupinder Singh, Neena Bhattal, Kukku Grewal, Mamta Mehta, Anu Kalia, Maninder Bagga, Jasleen Kaur, Samar Bajaj, Ritu Kapoor, and Madhu Thapar, among others.
Addressing the media on the occasion, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that the inclusion of these individuals into AAP has further strengthened the party's position in the Ludhiana West by-election. He said that the people of Punjab are extremely happy with the free electricity, education, and healthcare services provided by the AAP government. People from all sections of society are extending their support to the government and joining the party in large numbers.
The Chief Minister, impressed by the significant number of women joining the party, praised their active participation in politics and assured that all individuals would be given due respect and recognition in both the party organization and government.
Highlighting improvements in the education system, he said that this year, 44 students from Punjab’s government schools cleared the JEE Advanced exam and are now set to secure admissions in prestigious IITs across the country. He added that these students did not have to pay any coaching fees, as all coaching and facilities were provided for free in their schools.
Mann's Attack on Opposition: Congress Engulfed in Infighting, BJP has Fled the Field
Taking a dig at the Congress Party, Mann said their internal infighting never seems to end. Meanwhile, the BJP has fled the field, even going so far as to say, "If you don’t want to vote for us, then don’t, but don’t vote for AAP." He remarked that the people defeated arrogance last time and will do so again this time.
Commenting on the BJP’s act of distributing sindoor, Mann criticized such political tactics, stating that they have no place in governance. He expressed his deep respect for the armed forces and saluted their dedication but firmly emphasized that the military should remain apolitical. Mann questioned, “Have you ever seen any former Prime Minister donning a military uniform? The current Prime Minister is exploiting the uniform for political gains.”
Gangsters Flourished and Drugs Proliferated During Akali Regime: Mann
Targeting the Akali Dal, Mann questioned their claims of controlling gangsters. He asked whether they had some secret password to control crime. He said it was the Akali Dal that introduced gangsters in Punjab. The gangsters that are infamous today came into existence during their tenure. Drugs were also brought in by them.
He reminded everyone of the Nabha jailbreak incident that happened during their regime, and how a police officer was brutally killed while protecting his daughter’s honour. It was under their governance that criminals shot him dead. Now they claim they can control crime and gangsters.
“These people have ruined Punjab. They neither built any schools nor colleges. They handed over roads to private companies, promoted sand and land mafias, and disrespected religion. They seized control of Sikh institutions and ignored the orders of Sri Akal Takht Sahib. How can these people save Punjab? In fact, Punjab needs to be saved from them,” Mann concluded.