All gangsters, their networks in Punjab will be eliminated: Kejriwal

January 8, 2026

Ludhiana: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met with newly elected district council and block committee members on Thursday, delivering a powerful political message. They said the state has now decisively moved beyond the era of fear and electoral fraud. On the occasion, they announced that a full-scale campaign will now be launched against gangsters, similar to the “War Against Drugs” campaign.

Described the landslide victory in the Panchayat elections as a “mandate for clean politics”

Describing the AAP’s victory in over 70 percent of the Panchayat seats as a mandate for clean politics and honest governance, Kejriwal said that Punjab has witnessed the fairest local body elections in history, where not a single vote was rigged. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mann said that pro-people governance has forced traditional political parties to even revise their election manifestos.

Mann to appear before the Akal Takht, demands live telecast

On the issue related to the Akal Takht, Chief Minister Mann said that he will appear before the Akal Takht with all the facts and will request that the proceedings be broadcast live on all media channels.

I will go there not as the Chief Minister, but as a devout Sikh’

Mann said, “I will go there not as the Chief Minister, but as a humble and devout Sikh. Sri Akal Takht Sahib is sacred to every Sikh and is the highest seat of our community. Even if the President of the country visits Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, I will still ensure my presence at Sri Akal Takht Sahib.”

The order of the Akal Takht is supreme for me’

He clearly stated that Sri Akal Takht Sahib is supreme for him.

“Whatever order I receive from there, I will obey with complete devotion and honesty. The order of Sri Akal Takht Sahib has always been, is, and will always remain supreme for me and my family. It is a very sacred place from which Sikhs derive spiritual peace and strength,” Chief Minister Mann said.

Kejriwal congratulates newly elected representatives

Addressing an event in Ludhiana, Kejriwal said, “First of all, I congratulate all of you who have been elected in such large numbers as members of the Zila Parishad and Block Samiti. You are happy today because the public has entrusted you with new responsibilities. It is a matter of pride that AAP has won more than 70 percent of the total seats in these elections. These are your party’s seats.”

‘Earlier elections were marked by coercion and rigging’

Recalling the old Panchayat elections, the former Delhi Chief Minister said that traditionally, the ruling party won elections through force and rigging.

“In 2013, Panchayat elections were held a year after the government was formed. In 2018, elections were also held a year after the government was formed in 2017. Despite this, there was widespread booth capturing, hooliganism, and pressure, and that’s why they were able to win,” Kejriwal said.

‘This time there was no pressure, even the opposition won in close contests’

Comparing the past, Kejriwal said, “Today, after four years of our government, elections for Block Committees and Zila Parishads were held, and there was no coercion anywhere. Look at the results—there are more than 600 seats where candidates won by less than 100 votes. Of these, the opposition won more than 350 seats. In many places, Congress or Akali Dal candidates won by just one vote. Have you ever heard of a ruling party candidate losing by one vote?”

‘If they wanted, they could have misused power, but they didn’t’

He said that if AAP had wanted to abuse power, it would have been very easy.

“If we had wanted to use force, we could have simply called the SDM and declared our candidate victorious. It’s not difficult to shift a vote or two. But we didn’t do that because that’s not what we came into politics for,” Kejriwal said.