NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday dismissed opposition claims that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann would be replaced, asserting that Mann would not only complete his five-year term but also seek another.
Kejriwal, who recently completed a 10-day Vipassana meditation session, visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar along with Mann and other AAP leaders to mark three years of the party’s government in Punjab.
Drugs and corruption: Punjab’s biggest challenges
Addressing reporters, Kejriwal identified drugs and corruption as the most pressing issues in Punjab.
“Three crore people of Punjab have come together to wage war against drugs and corruption… this is a battle for justice,” he said, vowing to continue efforts to cleanse the state.
Mann echoed the sentiment, saying his government was committed to restoring Punjab to its former glory—“Rangla Punjab” (Prosperous Punjab).
‘Mann is not going anywhere’
Reacting to speculation about Mann’s removal, Kejriwal firmly denied the claims.
“Mann saab will complete five years, you do not need to worry… he will complete the next five years as well,” Kejriwal declared.
His remarks come amid Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa’s recent claim that 32 AAP MLAs were in touch with him and that Mann himself was in discussions with the BJP. Bajwa alleged that Kejriwal could remove Mann anytime, forcing him to switch sides.
AAP’s three-year report card
Mann highlighted his government’s achievements, stating that 52,000 government jobs had been provided to Punjab’s youth.
“The work that has been done in these three years has not been done even in the last 70 years,” Mann claimed in a post on X.
He vowed to intensify the fight against drugs, urging people to continue supporting AAP’s vision for Punjab.
As the party gears up for the next election cycle, the battle against drugs and corruption remains central to its governance narrative.