Chandigarh, January 18
Aam Aadmi Party AAP has declared Bhagwant Mann as the Punjab chief ministerial face of the party. His name was declared by party’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal at Mohali on Tuesday.
Though the declaration of Mann’s name for the chief ministerial candidate was a mere formality, as his name had been okayed by the party’s top brass last month, Kejriwal announced the decision based on a telephonic poll initiated by the party to allow voters to choose their CM candidate.
Announcing the results, Kejriwal said some people had voted for him even, though he had declared that he was not a candidate and these votes were declared invalid. “Everywhere I went, people would ask me about the party’s CM face. I would say that the party would choose a face that everyone will be proud of. We decided to conduct a poll so as to allow the people to choose their CM candidate. An astounding 93 per cent voters voted in favour of Bhagwant Mann,” he said, declaring him as the party’s CM face.
Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann and other AAP leaders in Mohali on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Vicky
Mann, while thanking people for choosing him and the party for reposing faith in him, said that he was pulled into politics after his political satires gelled with the common man and they wanted him to help them. “Punjab is plagued by too many problems threatening the state’s future as well as future of its people. Unemployment, drug addiction, unviable agriculture – these issues do not allow me to sleep at night. If we win, we will ensure that we work only for the poor, underprivileged and deserving, not the kin of rich and powerful,” he said.