Patiala: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday urged students in Patiala to choose a leader committed to development in the 2027 Punjab elections, asserting that one person could change the state’s destiny.Addressing the ‘Vibe Punjab Di’ programme at Khalsa College, Sukhbir described himself as a development-oriented leader and criticised former chief ministers Capt Amarinder Singh and Charanjit Singh Channi and incumbent Bhagwant Mann of the Aam Aadmi Party.The SAD, he said, brought significant change during its 10-year tenure from 2007 to 2017. Every district was connected to Chandigarh and Amritsar through four-lane roads, new thermal plants were established, and premier institutions, including AIIMS, IIT, and IISER, were set up across the state, he said.He claimed the state’s debt-to-GSDP ratio fell from 46% to 32% and annual VAT collections rose from Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 20,000 crore during the period.Responding to a student, Sukhbir claimed the erstwhile SAD govt had incurred debt to build infrastructure, while the AAP govt was taking debt to spend on advertisements worth crores.Recalling his student days, Sukhbir said he had been a first-class student and described his college years as the best period of his life.He also recalled missing crucial years with his father, Parkash Singh Badal, who spent long periods in jail during his childhood. He said his father had taught him to focus on carving his own path rather than competing with others.
