Chandigarh: Bhagwant Mann is the Chief Ministerial Candidate for Aam Aadmi Party, AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal announced today. Mann is from a comical background, and after becoming the chief ministerial candidate for Punjab, he has said that first people used to laugh and enjoy his company, but now they plead and ask help from him.
He has been selected based on televoting held by the Aam Aadmi Party, termed as, “Janta Chunegi Apna CM.” Bhagwant Mann, a two-time AAP MP from Sangrur, received more than 93 percent of the votes cast through phone and WhatsApp, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal told reporters. More than 21 lakh people participated in the vote, AAP said.
Around 3 percent of votes were in the name of Navjot Singh Sidhu, the Punjab Congress chief. There were a few voters in support of Arvind Kejriwal. Those in favor of Kejriwal were declared invalid.
“It is clear that AAP will win the Punjab election. In a way, the person chosen as the Chief Ministerial candidate will be the next Chief Minister of Punjab,” Kejriwal said.
The auditorium witnessed a lot of happiness as erupted in cheers and slogan-shouting as a montage on Bhagwant Mann played out on a giant screen.
“People laughed when they see my face. But now they cry and say, save us,” Mann, a standup comic, said.
Punjab will vote on February 20 and the results will be declared on March 10. AAP is the first — so far the only — party to announce a chief ministerial candidate in Punjab. It had avoided doing so in the previous election and this time around had held out until now.
Last week, AAP asked the people of Punjab to dial, WhatsApp or SMS on 7074870748 to name their choice for Chief Minister. AAP’s poster on the televote said: “Janta chunegi apna CM (People will choose their Chief Minister). Call 7074870748.”
Mann has been waiting for quite a long for this position in the party.
Known for his oratory in Parliament, Mann enjoys a wide support base among people and party leaders. He joined the AAP in 2014. He won the Lok Sabha election from Sangrur but lost in the 2017 Punjab polls to Akali Dal’s Sukhbir Singh Badal. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he won again from Sangrur.
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