AAP’s Bhagwat Mann stakes claim to form government in Punjab; to be sworn in on 16 March

Punjab chief minister-designate Bhagwant Mann on Saturday staked claim to form government in the state after meeting Governor Banwarilal Purohit here.

After the meeting, Mann told reporters outside the Raj Bhawan that he handed over a letter of support of his party MLAs to the governor who accepted it.

“We staked claim to form the government and the governor sahib approved it,” said Mann.

#Punjab CM-designate Bhagwant Mann meets Governor Banwarilal Purohit at Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh, stakes claim to form the government in the state. pic.twitter.com/Wr8pYyttSA

— ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2022

Mann was elected as the AAP Legislature Party leader at a meeting of the party MLAs in Mohali on 11 March, 2022.

The 48-year-old Mann was elected the AAP Legislature Party leader at a meeting of the party MLAs in Mohali on Friday.

“A meeting of the legislature group was held today. We have formally elected Bhagwant Mann as our leader,” Aam Aadmi Party leader Aman Arora said here.

Mann told reporters the governor asked him to inform about the place and time of the swearing-in ceremony. Mann said the event will be held at Khatkar Kalan at 12.30pm on March 16.

“I met the governor, handed over letter of support from our MLAs and staked claim to form the government. He told me to tell him wherever we want to hold swearing-in ceremony. It’ll be held at the native village of Bhagat Singh, Khatkar Kalan, at 12.30pm on March 16,” the CM -designate was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

He further said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will provide a good cabinet and make historic decisions.

“People from houses across Punjab will come to the ceremony, they will also pay tribute to Bhagat Singh. We will have a good cabinet, historic decisions -that were never made before - will be made. So, you will have to wait,” he said.

Names of several MLAs, including Harpal Singh Cheema, Aman Arora, Baljinder Kaur, Saravjit Kaur Manuke, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Budh Ram, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, Jeevanjyot Kaur and Dr Charanjit Singh, are doing the rounds for ministerial positions.

Cheema, the Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Legislative Assembly, was elected from the Dirba seat for the second time. Arora was re-elected from the Sunam seat.

Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, a former IPS officer; Jeevanjyot Kaur, a social activist; and Dr Charanjit Singh, an eye surgeon, were elected for the first time.

Mann has invited AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for his swearing-in ceremony.

On 13 March, 2022, both Mann and Kejriwal will pay obeisance at the Golden Temple, Durgiana Mandir and Sri Ram Tirath Mandir.

They will take part in a roadshow in Amritsar to celebrate the AAP’s victory and thank voters, a party statement said.

Earlier in the day, Mann had met Kejriwal in Delhi.

Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit dissolved the 15th Vidhan Sabha, an official spokesperson said here.

The move came after Charanjit Singh Channi submitted his resignation as the chief minister to Purohit.

The AAP romped home by winning 92 seats in the 117-member Punjab Assembly. It decimated the Congress and the SAD-BSP combine and its candidates defeated several stalwarts, including Channi, SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal and former chief minister Amarinder Singh.

With inputs from agencies

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