Sukhbir Badal attacks AAP door-to-door campaign, promises ‘New Jalalabad’
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday criticised the Aam Aadmi Party's planned statewide door-to-door campaign, using the phrase “chittar” (sandals) to describe the reception he said AAP leaders could face while visiting villages.
Badal was addressing the Shiromani Akali Dal's ‘Punjab Bachao’ rally in Jalalabad hours after AAP leader Manish Sisodia announced that the party would begin a statewide door-to-door outreach campaign from September 20. AAP has said 2,68,553 booth committee members will visit households across Punjab to highlight the work of the Bhagwant Mann government.
Badal urged Punjabis to unite against the AAP government and alleged that people were seeking accountability over the drug problem and law-and-order situation. He said AAP leaders should visit villages and face the public without police protection.
The SAD chief also promised to develop what he called a “New Jalalabad” if his party returned to power. He alleged that the constituency had been neglected by successive Congress and AAP governments and promised to establish medical and veterinary colleges in the area. He also said farmers cultivating land along riverine tracts would be given ownership rights.
Badal further criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, alleging that the AAP government was relying on a “divide and rule” strategy ahead of the next Punjab Assembly elections. He also criticised the role of the Waris Punjab De party in the state's political landscape.
Speaking about his earlier tenure as a legislator from Jalalabad, Badal said he had sought to develop the constituency as a model constituency. He alleged that development work in the area had remained stalled for nearly a decade.
The exchange comes as political parties intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. AAP's campaign will cover all 25,332 polling booths in the state, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann scheduled to participate in the outreach from Dhuri.
with inputs from PTI