Amargarh, October 4, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday urged Punjabis to choose a chief minister capable of putting the state back on the path of development, asserting that the SAD was best placed to deliver speedy growth, modern agriculture and employment opportunities if voted to power in 2027.
Addressing a Punjab Bachao rally in Amargarh, Badal announced that Malerkotla would be accorded heritage city status if the SAD formed the government, while a medical college and a veterinary college would also be established in the district.
Badal appealed to voters to support SAD candidate and constituency in-charge Jassi Manvi in the upcoming Assembly elections. He also congratulated Manvi for taking charge after former party leader Iqbal Singh Jhundan left the SAD.
Taking aim at the Bhagwant Mann government, Badal alleged that the AAP administration had failed to deliver on its promises and accused the Chief Minister of focusing on publicity instead of addressing issues such as drugs and law and order.
He also criticised former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Mann over their public claims about their respective skills, saying the state needed a leader capable of delivering development rather than making such claims.
Badal alleged that the Punjab government had spent heavily on advertisements and claimed that Rs 500 crore was spent on hoardings projecting Mann as an “Imaandaar CM”. He said an honest person did not need to repeatedly proclaim his honesty.
The SAD chief further alleged that industrialists were being pressured to contribute Rs 2 crore to Rs 5 crore each as election funds. He claimed those currently silent would speak out once the model code of conduct came into force.
On drugs, Badal promised that an SAD government would introduce a new law in its first Cabinet meeting to prevent drug traffickers from securing bail for 10 years and provide for seizure of their properties.
He also accused the Mann government of neglecting the Amargarh area and alleged that farmers had been misled over MSP and advance compensation for crop losses. Badal further alleged that a proposed medical college in Sangrur had remained limited to a “sham” foundation-stone exercise.
He credited the previous SAD government’s development of astro-turf facilities for contributing to India’s gold medals in men’s and women’s hockey at the Asian Games.
Senior SAD leaders who addressed the rally included Arvind Khanna, Master Tejinder Singh Sanghreri, Ranjit Singh Katron, Paramjit Kaur Virk, Beant Kaur Khaira, Gurpreet Singh Rajukhanna and Sarabjit Singh Jhinjher.
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