CHANDIGARH: A day after the BJP launched its ‘Nasha Mukt Yatra’ in Punjab, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced its first major pre-election outreach campaign in the state on Friday. From September 20, around 2.68 lakh booth committee members will visit households across Punjab and highlight the party's work.
The campaign is aimed at taking the party’s message directly to voters as the government enters the final six months of its current tenure. The strategy was discussed at the AAP Political Affairs Committee meeting in Delhi on Thursday.
AAP Punjab Affairs in-charge Manish Sisodia, flanked by Punjab President Aman Arora and state working president Amansher Singh Sherry Kalsi, announced the statewide campaign.
“CM Bhagwant Singh Mann will personally join the campaign in Dhuri, while AAP will simultaneously launch its membership drive and release its election campaign pamphlet in Ludhiana on September 19, marking the beginning of an intensive grassroots mobilisation across Punjab,” he said.
The former deputy chief minister of Delhi said the Mann government has completed four-and-a-half years in office and fulfilled all the election promises made in 2022.
“From September 20...workers, who are part of our booth-level committees, will be visiting each and every house. They will tell people about the work done by our government for women, youth, farmers, traders and businessmen," Sisodia said.
"The benefits we have provided have led to annual savings of Rs 1.82 lakh, or Rs 15,000 per month, for each household,” Sisodia added.
“Punjab has 25,332 booths and the campaign will be carried out through booth committees across the state. Our booth leaders and party workers will visit households and explain the work...,” he said.
Education will be another key focus. Sisodia claimed that government schools had been equipped with modern amenities and that the quality of education had improved, resulting in greater satisfaction.
The former deputy chief minister of Delhi said farmers had benefited from canal water and daytime electricity supply. Children in government schools were getting better facilities and opportunities, while steps had been taken to prevent private schools from overcharging parents.
Sisodia also said youth, traders and women were benefiting from the government’s initiatives. He said employment opportunities and sports facilities were being provided to young people, while traders were getting what he described as an honest government.
On the AAP government’s guarantees, Sisodia said the Mann government had fulfilled its commitments relating to electricity and water. He said these guarantees had resulted in an annual benefit of Rs 1.82 lakh for an average Punjab family.
Sisodia also targeted previous governments over the drug issue, alleging that drugs had flourished under their rule. He said the issue would be highlighted during the door-to-door campaign.
“Previous governments pushed Punjab towards financial distress and allowed the drug problem to spread. These issues will also be highlighted during the...campaign so that people can understand the difference between the previous governments and the current government,” he said.
Announcing the membership drive, Sisodia said AAP would also launch a large-scale membership campaign across Punjab. Volunteers would connect with people and take the government’s work directly to them.
Arora said the party would focus on what it describes as the fulfilment of its poll guarantees and initiatives related to jobs for youth, financial assistance for women, administration for traders and businessmen, education and the fight against drugs.
“The Mann government, guided by the vision of Arvind Kejriwal, has delivered benefits to families across Punjab. The government has worked to provide jobs to the youth and protect Punjab’s water resources," the ex-deputy CM of Delhi said.
"It is the responsibility of the party and its 2.68 lakh volunteers to take these facts to every household and explain how successive Akali-BJP and Congress governments pushed Punjab towards financial difficulties," Sisodia said.
"The Mann government did its job well and now AAP volunteers will take this work among the people. In 2027, AAP will be re-elected with an even bigger mandate than in 2022,” he added.
