4 min readChandigarh, LudhianaFeb 23, 2026 05:15 AM IST
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who is leading BJP’s outreach in Punjab ahead of 2027 assembly elections, addressed “Purvanchal Samman rally” in Ludhiana, Sunday. The rally was held in Giaspura area, the hub of migrants from UP and Bihar who form the workforce in Ludhiana’s industries and factories.
Saini compared the ruling AAP with Congress, and said “Kejriwal’s AAP is more corrupt than the Congress.” He said that both Congress and AAP have fooled people of Punjab with “false and hollow promises” and now “people of Punjab have decided to vote for BJP to bring development in the state.”
Calling Ludhiana as “industrial capital and Manchester of India”, Saini said, “It is only a PM like Narendra Modi and the BJP which can take Punjab on the path of progress.”
He said when he comes to Punjab, the “heartbeats of AAP starts racing.” Saini said that AAP was trying its best to “block his ways” and “stop him from reaching Punjab.” “Had they (AAP) fulfilled their pre-poll promises made before 2022 polls, there wasn’t a need to do what they are doing now. Ye raaste rokne ki zarurat na padti (The need wouldn’t have arisen to block my paths to reach Punjab),” he said.
Accompanied by Punjab BJP’s working president Ashwani Sharma, Saini further said: “Whenever I come to Punjab, the heartbeat of AAP starts racing. They stand on the roads and try to block our ways. People of Delhi have shown doors to Kejriwal because he lied to them and failed to fulfil promises even after ruling for a decade. He used to say “I am kattar imaandaar” but he and his party were exposed when his ministers went to jail. Kejriwal’s party is even more corrupt than Congress. Both AAP and Congress have faild people of Punjab and now it’s time to give a chance to BJP,” said Saini.
He added that the relationship of Punjab and Haryana is that of the nail and skin. “We can’t be separated.”
Saini added that in Haryana, women were getting Rs 500 a month for gas cylinders, kidney patients were getting free treatment in government hospitals and 100 per cent crops of farmers were being brought on Minimum Support Price (MSP). “We have fulfilled all the promises that we had made to people of Haryana but look at Punjab. Here the AAP had promised Rs 1000 a month to each woman which remains unfulfilled even after four years. This shows it’s a party of liars,” said Saini.
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Meanwhile, AAP workers protested against Saini’s visit with black flags and bands. The party in a statement said that the protest was against “BJP’s shameful act to poach AAP MLA Narinder Kaur Bharaj from Sangrur under Operation Lotus” and “the step-motherly treatment towards Punjab by BJP-led Centre in granting flood relief aid.”
Deepender slams Saini
Making a sarcastic remark on Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s promises to make “Punjab crime-free,” Congress Lok Sabha MP Deepender Singh Hooda said on Sunday that repeated shootouts have taken place in Haryana during the BJP rule. Addressing a Congress rally in Narnaund (Hansi), Deepender said: “The CM is going to Punjab and talking about making Punjab crime-free and number one in development. However, since the people of Haryana voted for him, Haryana should be number one. Haryana should be crime-free first. But today, shootouts are happening in every street corner in the state.”
