New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s national convener Arvind Kejriwal congratulated the people of Punjab as the party crossed the majority mark in early trends while the counting of votes is underway.


Meanwhile, AAP's Punjab co-in charge Raghav Chadha said that the state has proven party's national convener Arvind Kejriwal is a "shikshak-wadi".


Meanwhile, several prominent leaders such as CM Charanjit Singh Channi, Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal, and former CM Amarinder Singh are trailing in their respective seats.


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"Congratulations to the people of Punjab for this revolution)," the Delhi Chief Minister wrote.






After the early trends, Raghav Chadha said, "Punjab has proven it likes the Arvind Kejriwal-Bhagwant Mann pair, and no other party's pair... all other parties tried to defame us and called Kejriwal Ji a terrorist, but public proved that he is a 'shikshak-wadi'."


The comment is in reference to the controversy that ensued after former AAP leader and poet Kumar Vishwas alleged that Delhi Arvind Kejriwal was ready to seek support of separatists to win Punjab.


Meanwhile, talking about the state's future with an AAP sweep appearing likely, Raghav Chadha said: "Punjab will not be known as 'Udta Punjab' from now onwards, but 'Uthta Punjab'... all the credit goes to AAP workers, they didn't see day or night, summer or winter, and continued working for the party. AAP will work for everybody progressively."


Here are the official trends as the counting of votes is underway:


AAP: 88 
Congress: 13
Shiromani Akali Dal+: 10
BJP+: 5
Others: 1


As AAP crossed the majority mark in early trends, celebrations were seen at the residence of the party’s CM candidate Bhagwant Mann in Sangrur.






AAP’s chief ministerial face Bhagwant Mann is leading from Dhuri seat.


CM Charanjit Channi, Sidhu, Sukhbir Amarinder Trailing


Notably, Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi who is contesting from two seats - Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur, is trailing in both constituencies.


Navjot Singh Sidhu is trailing at second place in the Amritsar East assembly constituency as AAP's Jeevan Jyot Kaur is leading. SAD’s Bikram Majithia was at third position in the second round of counting, as per Election Commission.


Meanwhile, Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal is trailing on his traditional Lambi seat while his son party president Sukhbir Singh is also behind in his Jalalabad seat, according to early trends. 


Punjab Lok Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh is also trailing in the Patiala constituency.


Punjab has had its share of two-cornered contests with the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal as the major players. But the fight this year involves the ruling Congress, Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann-led AAP, and Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir’s Akali Dal that is fighting in alliance with Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party.


The five-corner contest also includes the BJP alliance with former CM Amarinder Singh’s Punjab Lok Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt), as well as farmer leaders’ political outfits ‘Sanyukt Samaj Morcha‘ and ‘Sanyukt Sangharsh Party’.


While all major parties expressed confidence that they will win, this unpredictable election raised concerns over Punjab witnessing a hung assembly for the first time as seemingly smaller players may also impact the parties’ vote share.


 The exit polls predicted a lead for the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab, however, a possibility of a hung assembly is also not completely ruled out. 


The result day will finally end the uncertainty over Punjab’s political future.


(With Inputs From Agencies)