Sukhbir Singh Badal, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, kicked off the 'Vibe Punjab Di' youth outreach in Patiala, addressing a packed hall of students and pledging a new form of leadership for the 2027 Assembly elections. The event marked a clear break from conventional rallies; Badal, adopting the nickname 'Bai Sukhbir', shared anecdotes from his own college days, his daughters, and his late father, former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, all while sprinkling the talk with mentions of pizza, pasta and Diet Coke.
He used the platform to highlight the party’s 2007‑2017 tenure, citing four‑lane roads, thermal plants and flagship institutions such as AIIMS, IIT, IISER, NIPER and ISB as evidence of development. The message was framed around the idea that one man can change your destiny, urging voters to choose the ‘development man’.
Students responded enthusiastically, asking about agriculture reforms and employment. Badal answered by outlining hydroponics initiatives and plans to expand food‑processing units, positioning the party as a moderniser of Punjab’s agrarian economy.
The initiative follows a broader trend in Punjab politics, where parties are racing to court the 12‑to‑25‑year‑old demographic that could tip the scales in the 2027 Assembly elections.