The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which completed six months in power in Punjab on Friday, has had several highs, lows and rows to its credit.
The AAP had swept the February 2022 state assembly polls with a landslide victory winning 92 out of the total 117 seats in Punjab.
While Congress could win only 18 seats, the Shiromani Akali Dal, won four (including one seat won by its ally BSP), the BJP, two and only one independent candidate could win.
The results came out on March 10 and Bhagwant Mann was sworn in as chief minister on March 16 while 10 of his colleagues took oath as ministers three days later.
The major scores of the Aap Government have so far been the implementation – though by baby steps – of its big-ticket poll promises of giving 300 units of power free every month and opening 100 "mohalla clinics," besides a few others. The freebies are not without further burdening the state exchequer which is already under a whopping debt of Rs 2.63 lakh crore.
The AAP Government has also hogged the limelight for successfully notifying one MLA, one pension rule, in the state. Earlier, a legislator used to get a pension for each stint. This move of the AAP government would save Rs 100 crore to the exchequer annually.
Acting sternly against the grabbing of the panchayat land in the state, the Mann government has also claimed that over 9,000 acres of panchayat land, including prime land near Mohali and other cities, have been freed from illegal encroachments.
The AAP government has also doubled ex-gratia to the soldiers dying on duty from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore and also announced a government job to their next of kin.
The AAP government’s highs in the agriculture and health sectors, in generating employment and other social sectors, notwithstanding, one of its major lows include its failure to fulfil its promise of giving Rs 1,000 per month to all women above 18 years of age.
The May 29 killing of the popular singer Sidhu Moose Wala which shocked the state, has also put the government in poor light mainly as the murder took place soon after the AAP government had temporarily withdrawn the security cover of 424 VIPs including Moose Wala.
However, the state police with the help of Central agencies and the Delhi Police managed to crack the case by nabbing the shooters even as the motive behind the crime is still a mystery.
The government was again seen in a bad light after health minister Vijay Singla was caught in a corruption case, who was instantly sacked and jailed by AAP.
The AAP government has now been again caught in another embarrassing situation following the release of an audio clip in which its food processing minister Fauja Singh Sarari is heard allegedly planning to extort money from some contractors.
The Mann government in Punjab, despite its efforts, has also been seen failing in checking illegal mining. It is also in a major controversy after it accused the BJP of indulging in horse trading to topple it a few days ago.
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