New Delhi: The date for the swearing-in ceremony of the new Punjab administration, led by Bhagwant Mann, will be revealed in the evening, as he left for Delhi to meet Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
AAP won the Punjab assembly elections, which was conducted on February 20, 2022, followed by vote counting on Thursday.
“I am going to meet party convenor Arvind Kejriwal, will give you the date (of swearing-in) by today evening. Will meet the governor tomorrow, followed by oath-taking in (freedom fighter) Bhagat Singh’s village Khatkar Kalan,” Mann was quoted by ANI on its official Twitter handle.
Mann, the AAP's Punjab unit leader and the party's first chief minister outside of Delhi, beat Congress contender Dalvir Singh Goldy in the Dhuri assembly constituency.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the lawmaker from Sangrur won by 57,717 votes, with 82,023 or 64% of the total votes cast, while Goldy received 24,306 and 19%, respectively.
The former stand-up comedian, who was named AAPs CM face in January, would succeed Congress' Charanjit Singh Channi, who was defeated by AAP candidates in both of the seats he competed for: Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur.
In the 117-member Punjab Assembly, the AAP won as many as 92 seats, Congress 18, SAD 3, BJP 2, BSP and Independent won one seat each. In terms of vote share, the AAP won 42 per cent of the total votes cast, as against 23.7 per cent it had won five years ago.
(With ANI Inputs)