With the people picking Mann as AAP’s CM candidate for Punjab, Kejriwal hopes for party’s Assembly win
The battle for Punjab has been so far so good for Arvind Kejriwal that he has succeeded in getting the AAP-oriented voter mandate for his choice of Chief Minister candidate. As has been his desire, Bhagwant Singh Mann is now being portrayed as the party’s Chief Minister candidate if the party wins.
Though he wanted ‘younger brother’ Mann to be CM candidate of the party, Kejriwal had decided to leave the choice to the voters so that they could name their ideal choice of Chief Minister candidate. A tele-voting campaign was rolled out and the voters were given a promise that whoever gets the maximum number of votes would be the face of the AAP poll campaign in Punjab.
Mann had been very hopeful, and when the tele-voting was announced it was in the hands of the voters who participated in the tele-voting. Mann finally emerged as the most preferred choice as the results of the tele-voting were announced.
Janata picks Mann with 93% votes
Mann is a two-time MP from Sangrur in the state, and when he got 93 percent of televotes, it was decided that he would be the CM candidate if the APP finds its way into the Punjab assembly. With more than 21 lakh people casting the votes by way of their telephones, Mann now needs to pray that his party would be the winner on March 10.
The huge turnout of tele-votes has in a way given confidence not just to Mann, but his mentor and leader Arvind Kejriwal too. The fight in Punjab is prestigious for the Aam Aadmi Party as it had made a good opening poll in the 2017 assembly election. The Congress had won 77 of the 117 constituencies, but AAP had indeed made a mark by finishing second with 20 seats. This wasn’t too bad for a party that just debuted on the Assembly poll scene in the state. In comparison, the Akali Dal won 15 seats and its erstwhile ally, the BJP, had won three seats then.
The people’s wholehearted participation in choosing the Chief Minister candidate could come as a shot in the arm for the AAP, as it believes that a win could be round the bend, this time around.
Mann, a stand-up comic, has followers in his home state and as two-time MP he has proved that there is an ample number of followers who would want him to rule the state. Though he had been criticized earlier for his hard-drinking habit, his public announcement that he has quit alcohol consumption could be a positive too.
The criticism has started raging yet again after Mann was proclaimed as the party’s CM candidate. However, while tweets that dig out Mann’s drunken videos are going viral, the party doesn’t seem to be concerned. This could be because it the people who picked up their phones and stamped their choice of CM candidate. Mann ad Kejriwal and their supporters would not want to entertain such trolls and rebukes, as it’s a party win in Punjab they are keen on now.
AAP keen on Punjab Assembly win
When Punjab goes to the polling booths on February 20, Mann and Kejriwal would hope to see the EVMs beep for the party. Being the only party to have announced a Chief Minister candidate much ahead of the election, AAP has some sort of advantage too as the people are keen to know who would be the right choice.
The Congress is still seeing squabbles internally, while former Congressman Amarinder Singh’s alliance with the BJP is yet to sink in with the people. So, it is now in the hands of the thinking voter. Though Kejriwal’s announcement that ‘Janta Chunegi’ was for the choice of Chief Minister candidate, it looks like the people might want to adopt that sensibly to vote for the best party. AAP is indeed hopeful.