The Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has completed four years in office. What began in March 2022 as a landslide victory, with AAP securing 92 of 117 seats, has, four years later, drawn increasingly harsh verdicts from both the public and the opposition. Beneath welfare announcements, a pattern of failures threatens to define the government’s legacy and AAP’s electoral future in 2027.
A State Drowning In Debt
When AAP took charge, Punjab’s debt stood at ₹2.82 lakh crore. By the end of the current financial year, it is projected to touch ₹4.17 lakh crore – an increase of ₹1.35 lakh crore in just four years. Projections indicate that the debt could rise to ₹4.50 lakh crore by the end of fiscal year 2026–27. According to the NITI Aayog’s Financial Health Index for 2023–2024, Punjab has been ranked the lowest among major states in terms of economic health, standing at 18th position. Opposition leaders argue that the AAP government’s fiscal mismanagement and ill-conceived policies have pushed Punjab to the brink of bankruptcy. The absence of any roadmap to restore fiscal health of the state makes AAP’s promise of financial prudence nothing more than words on paper.
Law and Order: A State on Edge
Punjab’s crumbling law and order has emerged as one of the AAP government’s most persistently damaging failures. Broad daylight murders, extortion calls and gang wars have become disturbingly routine. Despite repeated assurances from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann that the situation has improved, the harsh reality is that public confidence in safety has eroded – with a large section of residents feeling that Punjab is no longer secure.
The Drug Menace: Enforcement Without Eradication
Before assuming power, AAP had pledged to eradicate Punjab’s drug crisis. Four years on, seizures have risen and consignments are intercepted, yet addiction and drug overdose deaths remain widespread. Rehabilitation facilities lag far behind the scale of the problem. Enforcement has not translated into eradication – leaving the promise of a drug-free Punjab unfulfilled.
The Freebie Model Under Strain
AAP’s governance has been defined by welfare-first schemes, including free electricity up to a limit, free bus travel for women, cashless health insurance of up to ₹10 lakh per family annually and a monthly cash allowance for women above 18 years of age. While these schemes have delivered benefits, the larger question is their sustainability in a fiscally crippled state.
Women’s Allowance: A Promise Delayed
One of the most glaring examples of delayed delivery is the women’s monthly allowance scheme. During the 2022 poll campaign, AAP had promised to give ₹1,000 per month to every woman who has attained the age of 18 years in Punjab. Yet it took the government nearly four years to announce the scheme’s implementation, creating doubts among women beneficiaries about whether the promise was fulfilled only in the final year of its term, with an eye on the 2027 elections.
Rural Health Care on Ventilator in Punjab
Notwithstanding that the rural healthcare in the state is in “shambles”, the present AAP Government is not doing anything to improve the rural healthcare. It is a matter of shame that rural Subsidiary Health Centres (SHCs) remain in a deplorable state, frequently running out of essential medicines and leaving patients visiting the OPD without proper care.
Critics Allege Kejriwal Acting as Punjab’s De Facto CM
Critics have increasingly alleged that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is playing second fiddle to Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal, who is being portrayed as the “super CM.” Earlier, opposition voices claimed that Punjab was being run from Delhi, with Kejriwal calling the shots. However, following the party’s electoral debacle in Delhi, Kejriwal has virtually shifted his base to Punjab and is acting as the de facto chief minister.
Conclusion: The Broom That Must Sweep Itself
Four years ago, AAP’s broom – its electoral symbol – swept Punjab with pledges to clean up corruption, eradicate drugs, revive the economy and deliver people-friendly governance. Four years later, Punjab’s debt has mounted drastically, law and order is at its worst, the rampant drug menace still persists and flagship promises like the women’s allowance were delayed until the eleventh hour. According to political observers, AAP still has time for course correction. Its welfare schemes have undeniably benefited many. But one thing is absolutely clear: voters eventually judge governments by the gap between promise and performance. In essence, as Punjab marks the four-year anniversary of the AAP government, that gap is what the Mann administration must urgently address.
