The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday declared its Punjab unit president Bhagwant Mann the party’s chief ministerial candidate and the comedian-turned-politician vowed to bring the state’s glory days back.
The two-time Sangrur MP turned emotional -– seemingly wiping tears — as AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal announced the party’s choice, saying 93 per cent of respondents had picked him in a poll in which people phoned in or sent messages indicating their choice.Kejriwal, the Delhi chief minister, told reporters in Mohali that 21.59 lakh people responded to the “Janta Chunegi Apna CM” campaign. The “votes” cast in Kejriwal favour were termed invalid, as he had earlier declared that he is not in the Punjab race.“Out of the rest, 93.3 per cent people gave Bhagwant Mann’s name,” said Kejriwal, who had recently said his own preference for the CM candidate is Mann.At 3.6 per cent, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, who appears be eyeing the CM face tag from his own party ahead of next month’s assembly elections, got the second place in the AAP poll.
The Congress, however, is yet to announce its CM candidate.
Addressing the media and party workers, Mann, 48, assured that he will bring Punjab back to its more prosperous days.He invoked former President A P J Abdul Kalam, who wanted people to dream big.”The dream of turning Punjab into Punjab again does not let us sleep, the dream of giving jobs to unemployed youth and saving them from drugs does not let us sleep, the dream of turning farming into a remunerative profession does not let us sleep,” Mann said.He said he wanted to transform Punjab into a state from where people didn’t need to go abroad to find jobs.Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal called the AAP exercise “a stage-managed non-event”. BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh recalled allegations of Mann being “inebriated” while attending Parliament.At a 2019 rally in Barnala, Mann vowed to give up liquor. He had then accused his political rivals’ of defaming him by portraying him as a “born drunkard”.Kejriwal called it a historic day, recalling that people had been asking him who would be the “dulha” (groom) in Punjab.He said in Punjab political party leaders name their sons or other relatives as the CM face. Calling Mann ”my younger brother”, Kejriwal said had he declared the name without the poll people would have called it “favouritism”.
As Kejriwal announced the AAP’s CM face, party workers at the venue erupted in celebrations on the beats of “dhols”.When Kejriwal hugged him, Mann’s eyes welled up. A video clip on Mann’s life and political journey was played out.Mann’s mother Harpal Kaur and sister Manpreet Kaur were present. AAP leaders Raghav Chadha and Harpal Singh Cheema also attended the event.
“We come from a humble background and we know the people’s problems. Earlier, Bhagwant used to raise people’s problems through satire during his career as comedian,” Mann’s sister said.“My brother brought smiles on your faces earlier too and if you make him the chief minister, he will again bring back those smiles on the face of every section of the society.” she said.There were celebrations also at politicians’ native village Satoj in Sangrur district.Mann was elected to the Lok Sabha from Sangrur in 2014 and 2019.Born in Satoj village, the satirist-comedian joined the Manpreet Singh Badal-led People’s Party of Punjab in 2011.He joined the AAP in 2014. Pitted against Akali heavyweight Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Mann won the Sangrur LoK Sabha seat by a margin of over two lakh votes. He won again from there in 2019.At a rally in Barnala, in the presence of Kejriwal and his mother, the former comedian vowed to give up liquor. He had then accused his political rivals’ of defaming him by portraying him as a “born drunkard”.As an entertainer, Mann has made comedy videos and starred in films. He also participated in the Great Indian Laughter Challenge, a tv show on which the current Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu also appeared several times.At the Mohali press conference on Tuesday, Mann said people don’t laugh when they see his face now.
“Now, it is completely the reverse. When I go to any public meeting or any meeting, people now weep when they look at my face while narrating their problems and saying save us, we are ruined, our children are in bad company…,” he said.
