Chandigarh: From giant billboards declaring Bhagwant Mann an honest Chief Minister to counter hoardings challenging his claims over road construction, Punjab’s roads have become a battleground for political messaging. With seven hoardings reportedly spotted within a kilometre on one stretch, the campaign has triggered a fresh debate over self promotion, public expenditure and the AAP government’s record ahead of the Assembly elections.
Punjab’s political battle is increasingly spilling onto its roads, with hoardings becoming the latest weapon in the contest between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Opposition ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
While the AAP government is promoting Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann through the “Imaandaar CM” campaign, counter hoardings have appeared challenging the Chief Minister’s claims over development and road construction. Two such photographs circulating publicly offer a glimpse of the emerging political messaging war.
One board carries the message, “ਇਹ ਸੜਕ ਮਾਨਯੋਗ ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਭਗਵੰਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਮਾਨ ਨੇ ਬਣਵਾਈ ਹੈ”, claiming that the road was built by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann from Barnala. Another board takes the opposite position from Ropar, stating, “ਇਹ ਸੜਕ ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਭਗਵੰਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਮਾਨ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਨਹੀਂ ਬਣਵਾਈ ਗਈ”(This road is not constructed by Bhagwant Mann), directly challenging the claim that Mann was responsible for constructing the road.
The contrasting messages have turned road signage into a medium for political confrontation, with the question of who deserves credit for public infrastructure becoming part of the wider campaign against the ruling party.
The photographs also show how political messaging is moving beyond conventional party banners. Instead of merely attacking a rival party, the counter hoardings challenge the Chief Minister’s personal claims and invite people to question the government’s development narrative.
Seven hoardings in one kilometre raise questions
The reported concentration of seven hoardings within a kilometre has added another dimension to the controversy surrounding the “Imaandaar CM” campaign.
The AAP government’s publicity drive features Mann prominently, with slogans portraying him as an honest leader and highlighting government initiatives, including the provision of 600 units of free electricity to eligible households.
The campaign has attracted criticism from opposition parties and residents, particularly over the scale of the publicity and questions about whether public funds are being used to promote the Chief Minister’s personal image. The issue has also been reported in Ludhiana, where residents have questioned the need to advertise the Chief Minister’s honesty through large billboards. Congress Punjab In Charge Sachin Pilot stated that if a CM has to say thorugh a hoarding that he is Honest, then where is Honesty.
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal has alleged that Rs 500 crore is being spent on the campaign. The amount remains an opposition claim and requires independent verification through official expenditure records.
The counter hoardings offer the Opposition a different way to challenge the AAP. Rather than limiting the attack to speeches and press conferences, the messages confront motorists and passersby with a direct question about the government’s claims over development.
However, the photographs alone do not establish who installed or funded the boards, or whether the road in question was constructed under a particular government. Those details require verification.
Mann’s honesty campaign faces political scrutiny
The publicity drive comes as AAP positions Mann as its principal face for the 2027 Assembly elections. The “Imaandaar CM” and “Lokan da CM” slogans are part of a wider campaign built around his personal image, public outreach and the government’s welfare claims.
The campaign has faced criticism from the Congress, BJP and SAD, with opposition leaders questioning the need for repeated declarations of honesty and the expenditure involved.
The controversy has acquired added political significance following the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s October 5 order directing a CBI investigation into allegations involving people linked to the Chief Minister’s Office, including his OSD Rajbir Singh Ghuman. The Punjab government has challenged the order in the Supreme Court. The allegations remain under investigation and have not been established as proven offences.
The AAP’s publicity strategy and the counter hoardings are therefore feeding into a broader political contest over credibility, governance and the record of the ruling party.
Who gets credit for development?
The road related hoardings raise a question that frequently surfaces in election campaigns: should public infrastructure be credited to the government in power when a road is built, or should the political messaging identify the department, agency, funding source and project history?
The counter message that Mann did not build the road is a political claim, just as the opposing sign claiming that he did is a claim. The project’s official records would be needed to establish its construction history and the government or agency responsible.
As Punjab heads towards the 2027 Assembly elections, the battle over hoardings reflects a larger contest over how voters assess the government’s performance. For AAP, the challenge is to make its development and integrity claims credible. For the Opposition, the opportunity lies in questioning those claims with evidence rather than relying solely on political slogans.
The roadside campaign has made one thing clear: Punjab’s political messaging is no longer confined to rallies, press conferences and social media. It is now playing out on the very roads over which rival parties are competing to claim credit.
