Tarn Taran, November 8 — In a stirring appeal to voters ahead of the November 11 by-election, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann told a sea of supporters in Tarn Taran that he was not contesting for power, but for the people’s trust and the welfare of their children.
“I’m not your Chief Minister; I’m your partner in pain,” Mann declared during a massive roadshow held in support of AAP candidate Harmeet Singh Sandhu. “I didn’t come here to sit on a chair. I came to walk with you through your sorrows and your joys.”
The crowd’s response was immediate — chants of Inquilab Zindabad rang through the streets as thousands cheered the AAP leader’s speech, which blended personal memory with political message. Mann spoke of his own modest childhood, recalling how he cycled to school and often rode on bus rooftops to reach college. “Those days taught me what real struggle means,” he said. “That’s why I understand the farmer whose crop fails, the worker who labors day and night, and the family that worries about its next meal.”
He said his government’s policies were shaped by that empathy. During this year’s floods, he noted, every affected farmer received ₹20,000 per acre in compensation within 45 days. “Before Diwali, no family was left without relief,” he added.
Listing his administration’s achievements, Mann said nearly 90 percent of Punjab households now receive free power up to 300 units each month, while more than 56,000 youths have secured government jobs without paying bribes. “We’ve built schools, opened Aam Aadmi Clinics, jailed drug lords, and stood by our farmers with MSP and debt relief,” he said.
Mann contrasted his record with that of older political parties. “They looted Punjab for decades — giving only corruption, drugs, and unemployment,” he said. “We’ve given the people honesty, hope, and dignity.”
As the campaign nears its final stretch, Mann said opposition criticism reflected desperation. “When they have no real issue, they invent one,” he remarked. “But people can see the change around them.”
Ending his address, Mann told the crowd that the bypoll was a choice between self-serving politics and people-first governance. “This November 11 isn’t about who wins a chair — it’s about who stands beside you,” he said. “This victory will not be mine; it will belong to your children.”
