Historic Results, People’s poll: AAP sweeps 92 Punjab seats, Badals exit, 3 SAD faces
AAP’s landslide crushed several bigwigs, Bhagwant Mann set to become Punjab CM
Link News Desk
Year 2022 will be a watershed year in the history of Punjab elections. The results of the polls are true display of a democratic process where people of Punjab apparently rejected the politics of caste, dera and religion and stepped out to vote pro-development agenda of AAP, which has promised good education, healthcare, employment and a conducive atmosphere for business and trade.
AAP had projected party MP Bhagwant Mann as its chief ministerial candidate. He said that he will take the oath as Punjab’s Chief Minister in Bhagat Singh’s village Khatkarkalan and not at Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh.
AAP won 92 of the 117 Assembly seats — a massive jump from the 20 seats it acquired in the last state elections. The last time any party got such a decisive victory was in 1992, when the Congress had won 87 seats amidst a boycott by the SAD.
The victory has also led to AAP claiming its arrival on the national political stage. Party incharge of Punjab affairs Raghav Chadha declared that the party had become a national force. “Punjab voters were asked to clean Punjab with the broom (Aam Admi Party’s electoral symbol) they vacuum cleaned instead.”Chadha summed up the feeling not only within the AAP party but also among pollsters and the opposition parties.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) swept the assembly polls by wiping out the traditional political establishment and, for the first time, handing over the reins of the state to the Aam Aadmi Party. Till now, Punjab has been ruled alternately by the Congress or the Shiromani Akali Dal.Congress was reduced to 18 seats and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) got three seats, while Bahujan Samaj Party and an independent bagged one each. Sanyukt Samaj Morcha, the political outfit of farmer bodies, failed to make a dent. Even its leader Balbir Singh Rajewal failed to open his account.
The electoral landslide also crushed several bigwigs, including former CMs Charanjit Singh Channi, Parkash Singh Badal, Amarinder Singh and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal. Eleven of Congress’ 18 cabinet ministers lost, as did the party’s state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
In fact, the defeat margin of 50% of the cabinet ministers was substantially higher than their victory margins in 2017. Those who won are Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa (Dera Baba Nanak), Rana Gurjeet Singh (Kapurthala), Amrinder Singh Raja Warring (Gidderbaha), Pargat Singh (Jalandhar Cantonment), Aruna Chaudhary (Dinanagar), Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria (Raja Sansi), and Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa (FatehgarhChurian). Rana Gurjeet’s son, Rana InderPartap Singh, who contested as an independent from Sultanpur Lodhi, also won.
Shahid Bhagat Singh not Bhagwant
“It’s a victory of the people. They have rejected established political leadership and voted for a better future,” Aam Aadmi Party’s CM candidate Bhagwant Mann told The Tribune.
He said that the oath for Chief Minister will be taken at Khatkarkalan.
While giving an open invitation to everyone, Mann said that earlier the oaths used to be taken at ‘Raj Bhawan’ or Mehal but now these oaths have landed in villages of martyrs. “Now the oath will be taken at Khatkar Kala. The date will be announced soon.”
He added, “The way you have shown your love and start and end our slogans with Inqalab Zindabad which may definitely be giving peace to the soul of Shaheed Bhagat Singh.”
He also announced that from now on, no picture of the chief minister will be hung in the government offices as earlier governments in Punjab had made it a trend to hang pictures of the chief minister. Mann said that instead the pictures of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and BR Ambedkar will be hung in the offices of the Punjab government.
“Earlier, the Punjab government was being run from various palaces, but now the government would be run from villages, cities and wards,” said Mann.
He said Bhagat Singh got the freedom to the country whereas Dr BR Ambedkar gave us the constitution of a free country.
Mann who addressed the gathering at Sangrur in the presence of his mother and some AAP leaders including Delhi MLA, claimed that he would keep his promise of providing employment and would go with his first official signature with his green pen for giving employment. “Pehle din hare rang da pen berozgari door karanlyichallega,” he said.
Earlier, Punjab used to run from Moti Mahal or Siswan farmhouse (of Capt. Amarinder), or from the tall buildings having tall gates but now Punjab will run from Mohallas, wards, cities, and villages. Both Badals – Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Badal, AdeshPartap Singh Kairon, Capt. Amarinder had lost their seats. Channi had lost from both the seats and Navjot Singh Sidhu and Bikram Majithia were losing from both seats.
“I am thankful to those who voted for AAP and also to those who did not vote for AAP. Those who did not vote for AAP should not worry and think that it is not their government as CM is of the whole Punjab. We (I and Arvind Kejriwal and AAP workers) were insulted and had to face abusive language. Now their abusive language is welcome to them. We had spared them who insulted us. But now they would have to respect all 2.75 crores Punjabis.
He claimed that people would start seeing the difference and change within one month of his government. Mann said that public servants earlier used to rebuke the beneficiaries of old-age pension or other government schemes but now the system would be developed in the state under which the public servants will reach at the doorstep of such
