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- Published: March 16, 2022 13:00
Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Punjab): Aam Admi Party (AAP)’s Punjab face Bhagwant Mann has taken oath as the Chief Minister of the stat at Khatkar Kalan, Bhagat Singh’s ancestral village, in the presence of the party convenor Arvind Kejriwal and all its MLAs while the outgoing CM Charanjit Singh Channi hasn’t been invited.
Besides Kejriwal, no other Chief Minister’s were present in the oath-taking ceremony, according to AAP sources.
Also, no Union Minister or any big leader of the national level was invited for the oath-taking ceremony, only AAP leaders and party’s Punjab leaders attended the ceremony.
एक रंगला पंजाब बनाने के लिए आज पूरा पंजाब शपथ ले रहा है। LIVE https://t.co/JUhUs6GKbu
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 16, 2022
Further, the family members and those who are close to the Chief Minister-designate was invited to the oath-taking ceremony, besides several artists from Punjab.
HIGHLIGHTS
Bhagwant Mann sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Punjab, in Khatkar Kalan. pic.twitter.com/mrRVRNX9ab
— ANI (@ANI) March 16, 2022
Punjab CM designate Bhagwant Mann arrives at his swearing-in ceremony at Khatkar Kalan. AAP national convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and other leaders of the party present. pic.twitter.com/bbCEqiBELV
— ANI (@ANI) March 16, 2022
It’s (AAP winning 92 seats in Punjab Assembly elections) just a beginning. Their (AAP) ideology is special. I pray that God gives them (AAP) courage to make prosperous Punjab: Punjabi singer Gurdas Maan while at Punjab CM designate Bhagwant Mann’s swearing-in ceremony pic.twitter.com/ls6gCPoCeG
— ANI (@ANI) March 16, 2022
आज पंजाब के लिए बहुत बड़ा दिन है। नई उम्मीद की इस सुनहरी सुबह में आज पूरा पंजाब इकठ्ठा होकर एक खुशहाल पंजाब बनाने की शपथ लेगा।
उस ऐतिहासिक पल का साक्षी बनने के लिए मैं भी शहीद भगत सिंह के पैतृक गाँव खटकड़ कलाँ के लिए रवाना हो गया हूँ।
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 16, 2022
The CM-designate in a video message released earlier invited the people of the state for his oath-taking ceremony, urging men to wear ‘basanti (yellow)’ turbans and women yellow ‘dupatta (stole)’ for the ceremony.
Notably, Mann has been wearing yellow turbans, which is identified with Bhagat Singh.
The AAP registered a landslide victory in recently concluded Punjab Assembly polls, winning 92 seats, pushing most of its rivals to the margins. Congress won 18 seats in the 117-member Assembly.
Mann, who was contesting from Dhuri Assembly constituency in Sangrur district, won by a margin of 58,206 votes over Congress’ Dalvir Singh Goldy.
Born in Satoj village of Sangrur in 1973, Mann started his career as a comedian. He began his political career in 2011 with the Manpreet Singh Badal led Punjab People’s Party. In 2012, he unsuccessfully contested the elections from the Lehragaga constituency.
Later, he joined the AAP in 2014 and successfully contested the election from the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat. His importance in Punjab politics grew when he defeated the veteran leader of Punjab Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, who was then with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
Mann won the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat twice.
He gained popularity with his comedy stints in the TV show ‘Jugnu Mast Mast’. He also featured in several other comedy shows.
As AAP wins Punjab, it will be the party’s maiden victory in the state and a vast improvement from its performance in the 2017 elections when the party had finished behind Congress.