Under attack of his rivals for not fulfilling its main pre-poll promise of giving Rs 1000 to all 18-plus women in the state, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday made a big announcement that all the women in the state will get Rs 1,100 every month instead of the promised Rs 1000 per month “soon”.

“Soon, instead of Rs 1000 per month, mothers and sisters of Punjab will get Rs 1100 per month, declared Mann, while campaigning for the AAP candidate Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer in his own constituency Dhuri.

Stating that household electricity is free in Punjab, Mann asserted, “90 percent of the households in Punjab get zero electricity bills. Farmers are also getting sufficient electricity in the daytime for the paddy season. Our government bought a private thermal power plant and named it after Guru Amardas ji…Everything is possible with an honest government. Before the AAP Government, only 21 percent of fields were getting canal water. Now, more than 60 percent of the fields are getting canal water…My aim is that every field in Punjab should get canal water for irrigation.”

“That way five to six lakh tubewells will be out of need in Punjab, and AAP Government will save Rs 6000-7000 crore from the electricity subsidy. With that money, we will fulfill the guarantee of Rs 1000 per month to women. We only need Rs 5500 crores for that, since we are saving more, the people of Punjab will get more,” he said.

Mann also declared that he will not get tired or stop until he root out the Akali, Congress, and the BJP from Punjab for good. “These people ruined our three generations. They robbed the rights of our children and ruined their future, they destroyed our youth and ruined the lives of our elders.”

Making a vote appeal, Mann said that he was fighting against the dictatorship, the BJP, and the Centre; and he is fighting the Governor and every opponent in Punjab for the rights of our state and people. He urged the people to make him stronger by giving him 13 more arms and voices in the Parliament.

On the people’s demand, Chief Minister Mann recited his famous kikli-2. His quipped, “Sukhbir Badal expelled his brother-in-law (referring to Adeish Partap Singh Kairon) from the party, now the news is that Bikram Majithia is ready to expel his brother-in-law (that is Sukhbir Badal).” He added, these people can never compete with us or match our hard work.

Also taking on Congress, Mann said that it is a confused bunch in Punjab. “Sukhpal Khaira abandoned Bholath and came to fight elections in Sangrur, last time he went to Bathinda but lost, this time again he will taste a defeat…Congress brought Raja Warring from Bathinda and fielded him in Ludhiana and they sent Vijay Inder Singla to Anandpur Sahib to get defeated there.”

Kejriwal Alleges BJP Threatens to Remove Punjab Govt, Urges People to Give AAP All 13 Seats

Ludhiana:  Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday accused the Union Home Minister Amit Shah of threatening to topple the Punjab Government after the Lok Sabha election results are declared on June 4. Kejriwal, in a fiery address during a Town Hall meeting in Ludhiana, alleged that Shah’s motive behind this move is to halt the provision of free electricity in AAP-ruled states.

Kejriwal’s allegations came as he addressed a significant industrial hub in Punjab, where 13 Lok Sabha constituencies are at stake. He questioned the feasibility of toppling a government elected by three crore people, asserting that Punjab has 92 out of 117 assembly seats under AAP's control.

Challenging Shah’s tactics, Kejriwal asked if the BJP would resort to using agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to intimidate Punjab residents. He warned that such actions would only embolden Punjabis, known for their resilience and large-heartedness.

Kejriwal shifted focus to the importance of AAP securing all 13 Lok Sabha seats from Punjab, emphasizing that a strong representation in the Central Government would enable the party to address issues beyond the state's jurisdiction. He highlighted the need for stronger bargaining power at the Center to secure Punjab's rights and interests.

Accusing the BJP-led Central Government of withholding Punjab's dues amounting to Rs 9,000 crore, Kejriwal emphasized the importance of electing AAP candidates to safeguard the state's interests.

Furthermore, Kejriwal condemned the BJP's alleged intention to halt free electricity provisions in AAP-ruled states, arguing that providing free electricity was a cornerstone of AAP's governance model, contrasting it with BJP-ruled states where power tariffs are exorbitant.

Appealing to the people of Punjab to support AAP's candidates in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Kejriwal urged them to give all 13 seats to AAP to amplify the state's voice in the parliament.

In a separate engagement, campaigning for AAP candidate Ashok Parashar Pappi in Ludhiana, Kejriwal highlighted the economic turnaround witnessed in Punjab under the AAP-led government, citing a surge in investments and the establishment of major industrial projects in the state.