Ludhiana bypoll a chance to reply to AAP govt for 'failing' to keep promises says BJP MP Thakur

Chandigarh, Jun 10 (PTI) BJP MP and former union minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said voters of the Ludhiana West assembly bypoll have a chance to give a reply to the AAP government in Punjab for allegedly "failing" to keep its promises before coming to power.
    Hitting out at the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab, Thakur said the development in the state has come to a standstill.
    "Public have a chance in the Ludhiana West bypoll to give a reply to the AAP government for having failed to honour its promises," Thakur said during a press conference here to mark the completion of 11 years of the Narendra Modi government.
    He said that the AAP had promised to make Punjab a 'Nasha mukt' (drug-free) state but rather it had turned the state into 'Nasha yukt'.
    "It is a matter of concern regarding the kind of drugs being sold," he alleged.
    "They (AAP) had promised the state's development which has come to a standstill," claimed the former union minister.
    Targeting the AAP government over the outstanding debt, Thakur said Punjab is a debt ridden state, with government employees having to hold protests for their rights.
    Speaking about the Ludhiana West bypoll, Thakur lashed out at the AAP, saying an attempt was being made to send a person, rejected by the Delhi people, to Rajya Sabha. He was apparently referring to AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal.
    "People of Punjab especially those from Ludhiana should keep it mind that if the AAP wins the bypoll, its leader will not let any Punjabi to be Rajya Sabha member because he himself wants to become the MP as the Rajya Sabha MP has been fielded from the Ludhiana West bypoll," he said.
    He asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) whether it will give an assurance in writing that only a person from Punjab will be sent to the Rajya Sabha.
    The bypoll to the Ludhiana West assembly seat in Punjab will take place on June 19 and the counting will be held on June 23. The seat fell vacant following the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in January.
    The AAP has fielded Rajya Sabha member and industrialist Sanjeev Arora for the Ludhiana West bypoll.
    Regarding the completion of 11 years of the Modi government at the Centre, Thakur said, "Under the leadership of PM Modi, the country has made historic progress in the last 11 years. Under his strong and decisive leadership, India is showing the courage to move forward with confidence while facing every challenge."
    "Our borders are safe and the country has become an emerging global power. Today every section and every region of the country is moving towards the goal of a developed India," he added.
    He said the number of medical colleges have doubled under the Modi government. As against 387 medical colleges in 2014, their strength has risen to 780 in 2025.
    At the same time, the number of MBBS seats has increased from 51,348 to 1.18 lakh in 2024, he informed while speaking about the works carried out in the past 11 years.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)