Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday attacked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over its first list of 40 candidates for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, accusing the party of showing "complete disregard for the sentiments of the Khalsa Panth" — an accusation Badal made in a post on X, reported by ANI on October 31.

Badal claimed that Manwinder Singh Giaspura, the candidate from Payal, had been declared 'tankhaiya' by Sri Akal Takht Sahib. That is Badal's claim — the reports read carried no statement from the Akal Takht, and it is not presented here as fact. "In its first list of 40 candidates, Aam Aadmi Party has shown complete disregard for the sentiments of the Khalsa Panth," Badal wrote.

His second target was Sanjeev Arora, the candidate from Ludhiana West. Badal alleged that Arora was "currently in jail after being caught in a major corruption case". Those are Badal's words. Independent reporting, including The Hindu, puts the position differently: Arora is in jail in an alleged money-laundering case — an allegation, not a conviction. Badal also wrote: "Rewarding such people means AAP is preparing for misrule worse than the previous five years." That is his political charge.

The list itself: AAP announced the 40 names on Saturday — Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann from Dhuri, Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan from Kotkapura, Sanjeev Arora from Ludhiana West and Manwinder Singh Giaspura from Payal. The candidates were finalised at a Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting at Arvind Kejriwal's residence on Saturday, and Kejriwal posted "Best wishes to all candidates" on X. The list itself is already published on this site; this story covers only Badal's reaction to it.

Background: in the 2022 elections AAP won 92 of Punjab's 117 seats and the Congress won 18 (ANI). The reports read carried no AAP response to Badal's specific charges.

What happens next: whether AAP answers Badal's charges, and when the other parties release their own first lists.