Punjab Election 2022: Bhagwat Mann likely to become AAP's chief ministerial face, say sources

According to reports, the party has decided that the elections would be held in the name of the Sangrur MP, also the party's state leader. The reports further suggest the delay is due to party president Arvind Kejriwal testing positive for Covid this morning.

Punjab Election 2022 Bhagwat Mann likely to become AAP chief ministerial face sources gcw

Team Newsable

Punjab, First Published Jan 4, 2022, 6:59 PM IST

Bhagwant Mann will be the Aam Aadmi Party's chief ministerial candidate in the 2022 Punjab elections, according to top sources. According to reports, the party has decided that the elections would be held in the name of the Sangrur MP, also the party's state leader. The reports further suggest the delay is due to party president Arvind Kejriwal testing positive for Covid this morning.

In early December, Bhagwant Mann alleged that a top BJP leader promised him money and a position in the Union Cabinet to join their party ahead of the state elections. Mann had previously accused the BJP of snatching lawmakers from other parties, naming Goa, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh as instances.

The BJP, on its part, has dismissed these charges and urged Mann to name the politician to whom he is referring officially. However, Mann has turned down the bait. Kejriwal's party has made a slew of pledges, including a commitment to duplicate the Delhi style of administration in the state, focusing on free electricity, water, doorstep services, health, and education.

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So far, the AAP has announced 88 candidates on five lists to run in the 117-seat Punjab elections. Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party recently won 14 of the 35 seats in the Chandigarh Civic elections, unseating the BJP, which had previously dominated the polls, gaining 20 seats. The Congress also improved its performance, more than tripling its seats from four to eight, all at the expense of the BJP. The AAP aims to win large in the Punjab assembly elections, buoyed by the ruling Congress's incessant public fighting and the split between the Akali Dal and the BJP over the disputed agricultural rules.

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Last Updated Jan 4, 2022, 6:59 PM IST