Amritsar, Jan 19: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday officially named Talbir Singh Gill as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate for the Majitha constituency in the upcoming 2027 Assembly elections. The announcement came during a visit to the traditional Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) stronghold, where the Chief Minister also inaugurated a series of infrastructure improvements.
The move marks a strategic shift for AAP in the region, as Gill was once a primary aide to SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia. Majithia is currently held in Nabha jail facing a disproportionate assets case. Gill, who unsuccessfully contested the 2022 polls from Amritsar South on an Akali ticket, joined the ruling party in May 2024.
“This very Majitha area was once controlled by people who had hosted General Dyer for dinner on the same day as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre,” Mann noted during his address. He warned the public that a return of the Akali Dal would lead the state back into a “dark era,” specifically citing past instances of sacrilege and violence against protesters.
The Chief Minister was in Majitha to launch the reconstruction of 23 rural link roads, a project valued at Rs 11.32 crore.
He mentioned that the investment is part of a broader effort to use taxpayer money for direct public benefit rather than allowing it to be diverted by political leaders.
Taking a direct shot at the current political climate in the constituency, Mann noted that the “reign of terror” previously felt by residents has disappeared. He also criticized Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami, alleging that the religious leader acts more as a soldier for the Badal family than for the faith.
“Mujhe lagta nahi, mujhe pata hai,” Mann said while discussing the need for political change in the region, suggesting that the previous leadership used intimidation to suppress the local population.
