Arvind Kejriwal does not dictate the Punjab government's functioning, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has said, trashing charges that the AAP national convener acts as a "super CM" behind the scenes.

Kejriwal has never interfered in his government's decision-making, the chief minister told NDTV's Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal at the 'Nava Punjab' summit today.

"To be completely honest, as far as decision-making is concerned, he has never interfered even once. If a hundred decisions are taken by the Punjab government, the Punjab Chief Minister takes every single one of them. Arvind Kejriwal does not dictate them," he added.

"Historically, it was Punjab that gave the Aam Aadmi Party its very first green sprout on the national map. In 2014, when the party contested across the entire country, we won four MP seats, all from Punjab, and I was one of those four MPs. Following that, in 2017, we entered the state assembly as the main opposition party for the first time with 20 seats. Later, even when the party faced some organisational instability and internal friction, I managed to win the Sangrur seat as a lone MP. Ultimately, in 2022, the voters rewarded us with a historic landslide margin," Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann .

"Punjab is the sacred land of Gurus, peers, saints, and revolutionary poets. Our people have always been quick to embrace new ideas and political revolutions. We are entirely confident that the people of Punjab will not let us down," he added. 

"Based on all the work we have completed in Punjab and the daily feedback we receive from the ground, the people of Punjab are very happy. They openly say that for the very first time, they have been liberated from political interference in the police force and from facing fabricated cases at local police stations. Our children are receiving high-quality education, our citizens are getting excellent healthcare, and electricity and water are completely free. The people of Punjab are truly thriving under this administration," Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said.

A Rajya Sabha member is selected, whereas the one in the Lok Sabha is elected, underlined Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, taking a swipe at former AAP collegaue Raghav Chadha. 

"When you abandon a position given to you by the voters, people get incredibly angry. They think, 'We chose you directly, what greater honour were you looking for?' The Rajya Sabha is selected, whereas the Lok Sabha is elected. There is a unique pride and responsibility in being elected," the Punjab Chief Minister told NDTV's Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal. Read more

“BJP will win 1 or 2 seats in Punjab in 2027 polls, Congress 1 to 9, Akalis zero,” Bhagwant Mann gives in writing to NDTV

"Look, we are a national party. Our Punjab party-in-charge also comes from Delhi; Manish Sisodia is there, right? Now, if you look at the Congress party, Mallikarjun Kharge is not from Moga, is he? The previous Congress in-charge, Harish Rawat, wasn’t from Bagha Purana either. Even the BJP's current in-charge, Nitin Nabin -- he isn't from Majitha," he said.

"My point is, we are a national party, so please consider us as a national party. As far as decision-making is concerned, they have never once interfered, to be completely honest," he added.

"The voters of Rajinder Nagar had elected Raghav, and he was even made the Chairman of the Delhi Jal Board. However, when elected representatives resign mid-term, the public rarely forgives them or elects them again," Bhagwant Mann said.

He added, "They were members of my party. I felt deeply hurt by this. As you mentioned, I worked very closely with those individuals -- almost like family members. We shared deep personal and familial ties. I truly don't know what crossed their minds. But as the Punjabi saying goes: 'It is good that it ended early; at least a lifetime wasn't wasted in the company of those who don't know your worth.'"

Commenting on recent high-profile political exits, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said, "You know what? Look, no one can truly predict when someone might change their mind."

Mann questioned the timing of recent defections, claiming that investigations by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) often precede a politician’s decision to change alignments. 

He alleged that political shifts are being driven by pressure or incentives rather than genuine ideology.

"We began providing employment opportunity. I stand before you today having given out 65,264 jobs. Not a single person can raise their hand and claim that money was demanded from them, or that someone with lower marks than them secured a job through a minister's recommendation or quota. Not at all," Bhagwant Mann said.

"In fact, there are households where three family members have secured government jobs, and there are individuals who have successfully cleared three different job opportunities. This has significantly boosted the people's trust in us, as well as our own confidence. Moving forward, we are now constructing 43,000 kilometers of roads," he added.

"Our very first guarantee was free electricity. Following our oath ceremony on March 16th, we implemented this for the first billing cycle of July -- which operates on a two-month cycle in Punjab. During that June-July cycle, we provided 300 units of free electricity to every single individual. We did not discriminate based on the color of your ration card, whether it be red, green, blue, or yellow," Bhagwant Mann said.

"Even if you have two air conditioners installed at your home, if you manage your consumption efficiently so that your two-month meter reading stays at 599 units -- or just under 600 units --your bill will come out to zero. Today, 90% of Punjab is receiving a zero electricity bill. Furthermore, the electricity board is not incurring losses either," he added.

“Punjab should not be called just an agrarian state anymore”: Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to NDTV’s Rahul Kanwal

🔴WATCH LIVE | NDTV नवा पंजाब समिट 2026 : पंजाब चुनाव से पहले CM भगवंत मान का सबसे विस्फोटक इंटरव्यू #NDTVNavaPunjabSummit | #BhagwantMann | #AAP | @BhagwantMann | @rahulkanwal https://t.co/U4ooF4lIAh

— NDTV India (@ndtvindia) May 25, 2026

'जितनी पुरानी सरकारें थी उन्होंने पंजाब के ऊपर कर्ज भी बढ़ाया और बर्बाद भी किया': पंजाब के वित्त मंत्री @HarpalCheemaMLA #NDTVNavaPunjab | @PadmajaJoshi | @deepduttajourno pic.twitter.com/GMQaX5gGc4

— NDTV India (@ndtvindia) May 25, 2026

AAP सरकार में पंजाब में कितना हुआ वित्तीय सुधार?
सुनिए पंजाब के वित्त मंत्री @HarpalCheemaMLA#NDTVNavaPunjab | @PadmajaJoshi | @deepduttajourno pic.twitter.com/v88FMsfGbz

— NDTV India (@ndtvindia) May 25, 2026

पंजाब में कर्ज के बीच फ्री हेल्थ सुविधाओं को मजबूत कैसे करेगी सरकार?
सुनिए @BalbirSinghMLA (स्वास्थ्य एवं परिवार कल्याण मंत्री, पंजाब) से#NDTVNavaPunjab | @MinakshiKandwal pic.twitter.com/jKRJHTCK9i

— NDTV India (@ndtvindia) May 25, 2026

Addressing questions about Raghav Chadha's break from the Aam Aadmi Party, Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh delivered a stinging response. "Those who got scared are dead, and those who could be bought have been sold, we don't care about them," the Minister said. He added that Punjab does not belong to those who can be bought or those who live in fear, declaring, "Punjab belongs to those who fight."

Speaking at the NDTV Nava Punjab Summit, Minister of Health and Family Welfare Balbir Singh laid out the vision for Punjab’s comprehensive healthcare overhaul.

Predicting next year's election results, AAP Punjab Minister Aman Arora said that if Punjab votes for the work done by his party over the last four and a half years, AAP is set for a landslide victory. However, he added a caveat -- the elections need to be fair. "Congress will be zero, 100 per cent," he claimed.

Congress has a weak leadership and will be even more marginalised in Punjab, Minister Aman Arora said. He added that the grand old party is living in a "fool's paradise". Congress cannot fight the BJP alone today, he claimed, adding that a good alliance could have been created to defeat the BJP but they never played the role of a "big brother".

Speaking at the NDTV Nava Punjab Summit, Punjab Governance & Industries Minister Aman Arora said he is confident the Aam Aadmi Party will retain power next year if the elections are conducted fairly.

Through the day, leaders, policymakers, cultural icons and changemakers will gather to discuss Punjab's governance story, economic ambitions, social priorities and development roadmap.

Discussions will span topics ranging from drug menace and healthcare to investor readiness and workforce skilling. Key voices from the Punjab government, including ministers of Finance, Education, Health, Labour and Social Justice, will take the stage across sessions to present the state's progress and vision under the Aam Aadmi Party.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and DGP Gaurav Yadav are among the key figures speaking at the NDTV Nava Punjab Summit being held in Chandigarh today.