NEW DELHI: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday dismissed speculation of internal discord within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), stating that "all is well" in the party.
His remarks came after AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal met with MLAs and MPs from Punjab at the Kapurthala House in Delhi, days after the party’s defeat in the Delhi assembly elections.
The Punjab CM said Kejriwal used the meeting to thank legislators for their efforts during the polls.
"The AAP government in Punjab has always worked for the public welfare whether it’s in education or infrastructure sectors," Mann said.
He added that "The government needs to speed up. Winning and losing is a part of the game. People of Delhi still remember us as someone who worked for them."
Mann claimed that many in the capital still believe AAP has done more in the last decade than any government in 75 years.
He addded that the party will be in power in Punjab for two more years and will work to make the state a good model for AAP's governance.
"We will use Delhi's experience in Punjab. We will work together. Our party is known for its work. In today's meeting, it was decided that in the coming two years, we will make Punjab a model that the whole nation will look up to... Punjab has always been forefront in all the fights."
Earlier, party leaders had said that discussions between Kejriwal and Mann would focus on reviewing the AAP's performance in the recent Delhi elections and on planning for the 2027 Punjab Assembly polls. Senior leaders, including Punjab MPs Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Manish Sisodia attended the meeting.
AAP, which had governed Delhi for a decade, suffered a major setback in the February 5 elections, winning only 22 seats out of 70 in the Assembly elections. The BJP's victory ended AAP's rule in the capital, raising concerns over the party's future.
With Punjab being the only state governed by AAP, the outcome of this meeting could be important for the party's future.
Political observers believe that the AAP will have to work out a "Punjab- specific model of development" to improve its performance in the only state where it is now in power following the rejection of the "Delhi model" in the assembly polls in the national capital.
The AAP stormed to power in Punjab in 2022 by winning 92 of total 117 assembly seats. The party had come to power while showcasing the "Delhi model of development."
Opposition parties have been targeting the AAP government in Punjab over a host of issues, including alleged "deteriorating" law and order, rising debt and the drug menace. They lashed out at the Mann government, alleging "misgovernance" and "deceiving voters with false promises."
