Sukhbir Singh Badal, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, kicked off a door‑to‑door 'Punjab Bachao' outreach from Doda village in Gidderbaha on October 6, 2023, asking residents to voice their priorities for the 2027 Punjab Assembly manifesto. The move follows Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s own grassroots push, where he took the AAP government’s performance into the homes of voters amid growing discontent over drugs and governance.
Villagers raised the scourge of drugs, unemployment, and welfare gaps as top concerns. Women recounted how addiction had torn families apart, demanding harsher penalties for traffickers.
Badal pledged that a future SAD government would provide 50 kg wheat at ₹4 per kg and pulses at ₹20 per kg under the atta‑dal scheme, fill 300,000 government posts within a year, raise old‑age pensions to ₹3,100, offer a ₹1 lakh Shagun benefit, and grant interest‑free loans up to ₹10 lakh for youth entrepreneurship.
SAD argues that election manifestos should receive legal status so parties can be held accountable for their promises, and it seeks to document the public feedback as a 'janta' manifesto.
The party will compile the collected suggestions into a draft manifesto ahead of the March 2027 assembly polls, aiming to secure voter confidence and counter the AAP's narrative.