Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Speaker Kultar Singh Snadhwan categorically rejected the rumours of any dissent within the Aam Aadmi Party in the state while saying that the state will become a national model for governance. The leaders spoke to the media after a meeting with AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal. The meeting was called after the party’s crushing defeat in the Delhi elections.
Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan said, “We will make Punjab a national model for governance and development. We had deliberations and planning for that…On our loss in Delhi, we all were of the opinion that all institutions were misused by the BJP. They have looted democracy…The people of Delhi have given us a duty as opposition. They haven’t completely neglected us.”
Reacting to the Congress party’s claim of 30 AAP MLAs in their contact, CM Bhagwant Mann said that Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa has been making similar claims for the last two years. “Bajwa has been saying this. He should not count our MLAs and instead, see how many MLAs Congress has in Delhi…He (Bajwa) has been making claims earlier also that 20 MLAs or 40 MLAs are in touch with him. Let them say it. We have formed this party with our sweat and blood going among people in the villages and towns in the state,” Mann said.
Reacting to the promised Rs 1,000 financial aid scheme for Punjab women, Mann assured that the AAP government would fulfil its guarantee of paying Rs 1,000 to women in the state but refused to share any deadline to deliver on the promise. CM Mann said that the AAP government was committed to fulfilling all poll promises and said the government has gone beyond the poll promises for public welfare.
“We shut down 17 toll plazas bringing a daily relief of Rs 62 lakh to commuters,” he said while highlighting the welfare work done by the Punjab government.
Earlier, AAP Punjab President Aman Arora also said earlier that there was nothing to read in the meeting. “It is a general meeting. The party chief will be addressing all of us after the Delhi elections. Otherwise, we have no fear of anyone. We are united. Such meetings have been held in the past also. There is nothing new. Since Kejriwal has not addressed us for a long time now, we will be going to meet him,” said Arora.