Mission Doaba: How CM Bhagwant Mann is repositioning governance through Jalandhar ahead of 2027 Punjab polls

By stating that “the government itself is at your doorstep,” Mann attempted to symbolically collapse the physical and political distance between the state leadership and a crucial electoral belt. Calling Jalandhar his “karambhoomi,” he pledged to personally clear the city’s development-related files, a commitment that blended emotional appeal with executive authority.

At Thursday’s Lok Milni, hundreds gathered at Mann’s house in Jalandhar, where he claimed to resolve grievances on the spot by issuing direct instructions to officials. He described Punjab as the only state where the “head of state” personally conducts such comprehensive grievance redressal exercises.

By asserting that Lok Milni is “above politics,” Mann sought to frame it as a governance reform rather than campaign groundwork — though its timing and frequency suggest clear political resonance.

“While projected as a governance innovation, Lok Milni also serves a broader electoral purpose: direct access to the chief minister builds a leader-centric governance model, strengthening Mann’s individual political brand. Fixing administrative accountability, publicly issuing directions places bureaucrats under visible scrutiny. The programme reinforces the image of a responsive and accessible government ahead of elections,” said a senior AAP leader in Jalandhar.

However, Congress leader Rajinder Beri, the Jalandhar district president, said that as the election approaches, it’s only now that Mann has started visiting Jalandhar, but people understand everything because he has been missing from the city since the 2024 bypolls.

Reclaiming the Doaba region

Doaba remains electorally sensitive due to its large diaspora links, agrarian economy, and urban-rural mix. By retaining a house and office in Jalandhar even after the by-election, Mann is signalling a long-term regional commitment rather than temporary electoral optics.

In Punjab’s political history, regional symbolism has often shaped statewide narratives.

In 2023, the Aam Aadmi Party registered a historic sweep across the Malwa and Majha regions. However, Doaba stood out as the only belt where the party’s dominance was relatively restrained.

Out of the 23 Assembly seats in Doaba, the AAP secured 10 in a strong performance, but not a sweep. This made Doaba the only region that prevented the party from achieving a complete statewide clean sweep, even as it formed a decisive majority government under Bhagwant Singh Mann.

During the Lok Milni, Mann reiterated key policy achievements likely to anchor the 2027 campaign narrative, including the creation of over 63,000 government jobs without corruption, the establishment of Schools of Eminence, overseas teacher training programmes, and 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics delivering free healthcare.

He also talked about free electricity to nearly 90 per cent of households, cashless treatment up to ₹10 lakh under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, the closure of 19 toll plazas saving daily commuter expenses, the ongoing rural road and irrigation infrastructure projects, and the announcement of a forthcoming ₹1000 monthly assistance scheme for women.

Jalandhar outreach appears to serve three parallel objectives ahead of 2027: regional consolidation, strengthening the AAP’s footprint in Doaba and Majha, leadership centrality, and elevating Mann’s personal accessibility as a differentiator.