Aam Aadmi Party convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal set off a fresh round of political speculation in Punjab on Friday with an unexpected prediction. According to him, the state's next assembly election may not wait until its scheduled date of February 2027 — instead, it could be held this very year, in November 2026. Notably, he offered no explanation for why the poll might be moved up.
The Core Claim
Kejriwal's message was that if the vote does indeed come early, AAP has little time to spare. He urged workers and supporters to begin campaigning straight away. His pitch rested on the argument that the party has been running Punjab for four years and that voters remain satisfied with its work. To sharpen the contrast, he pointed to past opposition governments, saying that whenever they reached the final year of their term, public anger against them would surface — whereas, he claimed, people are still standing with AAP even after four years.
On the question of who would lead the campaign, he left no room for doubt. "I have been told that the elections may be held in November 2026 instead of February 2027. That leaves only four months. We must get to work right now and make Bhagwant Mann the chief minister once again," Kejriwal said.
A Show of Strength in Bathinda
The claim came in the middle of a road show in Bathinda. Walking alongside Kejriwal were Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, senior party leader Manish Sisodia and state unit president Aman Arora, among others. He used the occasion to cash in on the party's recent municipal results, thanking residents for their support. He reminded the crowd that on Thursday, four AAP councillors were elected mayors in the municipal corporations of Barnala, Moga, Batala and Bathinda.
Kejriwal's tone also turned emotional. "We entered politics to work. When I see smiles on people's faces, it feels good that even after four years, people still appreciate our work," he said.
Sharp Jabs at the Opposition
To corner his rivals, Kejriwal adopted a pointed style. He said Punjab has four parties in all, including AAP — but rather than naming the other three, he gave them labels. In his words: "One party is the one people call the 'chitta' (adulterated heroin) party. The second is the 'jhagra' (quarrel) party, whose leaders keep fighting among themselves. The third is the ED party, which uses that agency to threaten and intimidate people. The fourth party is the Aam Aadmi Party — your own party, which works for the people."
Building Mann's Clean Image
Kejriwal was lavish in his praise of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. He said Punjab had seen many chief ministers over the past 75 years, but none as honest as Mann. Earlier chief ministers, he argued, had faced a range of allegations and scams, while in four years not a single charge had been levelled against Mann. He added with a barb that had there been even a hint of wrongdoing, Modi would hardly have spared Mann — he would already have faced ED and CBI raids.
Listing the Welfare Schemes and the Vote Appeal
Kejriwal also laid out the government's record, claiming that work had been done for different sections of society over the past four years. He noted that the AAP government is providing free electricity along with a health cover of 10 lakh rupees. He further announced that from July, women will receive financial assistance of 1,000 rupees in their accounts, and 1,500 rupees in the case of SC women. On this basis he made his appeal for votes, saying people should once again make Bhagwant Mann the chief minister so that the remaining work can be completed.
