The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Bhagwant Mann is set to be sworn in as the new chief minister of Punjab on March 16th, according to reports by news agency ANI. The AAP recorded an emphatic victory in the 2022 Punjab election, winning 92 of the Assembly’s 117 seats, whilst the ruling Congress won only 18, a significant decline from its 2017 result of 77 seats.
This victory marks the first time that the AAP will form a government outside of the national capital, and reinforces its desire to become a national political force, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The party also contested in Goa and Uttarakhand in the recent elections.
Bhagwant Mann met with AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal earlier today at his Delhi residence. The two embraced warmly and were seen sporting broad grins, with Mann even falling at Kejriwal’s feet to seek his blessing. Kejriwal took to Twitter to express his support for Mann, saying “My younger brother, Bhagwant Mann, will take oath as Chief Minister of Punjab. Today he came to my house to invite (me). I am sure that as a Chief Minister, Bhagwant will fulfil every expectation of the people of Punjab.”
Mann’s oath-taking ceremony will be held in Khatkarkalan, the ancestral village of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, instead of at the Raj Bhawan, as previously suggested by some AAP members. Mann’s mother, Harpal Kaur, expressed her delight at her son’s win in an interview with ANI.
Meanwhile, outgoing Punjab Chief Minister, the Congress’s Charanjit Channi, has submitted his resignation but will remain in his post until Mann is sworn in. Channi lost in both Chamkaur Saheb and Bhadaur during the recent election.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the AAP for its victory in Punjab, to which Kejriwal responded with a simple “Thank you, sir.”
The AAP’s triumph in Punjab is a significant step towards establishing itself as a national force, following its success in the Delhi state elections in 2015 and 2020. The party has also had success in local body elections in other states such as Gujarat and Haryana.
The new government’s priorities are likely to focus on improving the state’s infrastructure and boosting its economic growth. Mann has promised to create jobs for the youth, reduce unemployment, and address the drug abuse problem that has plagued the state for years.
Overall, the AAP’s success in the Punjab election is a major milestone for the party, and could potentially change the political landscape in the country ahead of the national elections in 2024.
