AAP's Bhagwant Mann Takes Oath as 17th State Chief of India's Punjab - Video
13:22 GMT 16.03.2022 (Updated: 11:42 GMT 10.12.2022)
© AP Photo / Prabhjot Gill
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Having started his political career in 2011 by joining People’s Party of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann, 48, contested state polls in 2012. But he couldn't win. In 2014, he joined the Aam Aadmi Party and contested parliamentary elections against ex-federal Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. He won by a margin of 211,721 votes.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) politician Bhagwant Mann took oath as the 17th state chief of India's Punjab on Wednesday at Khatar Kalan, the birthplace of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.
Mann was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Banwarilal Purohit.
What a moment ❤️🥺
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 16, 2022
Punjab di Aan, Baan aur Shaan, Sardar @BhagwantMann takes oath as the Chief Minister of Punjab#PunjabDaCMMann pic.twitter.com/jRcl1zjQ8i
Punjab CM Sardar @BhagwantMann's swearing-in ceremony LIVE | #PunjabDaCMMann https://t.co/9sB2z9qR9h
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 16, 2022
Mann announced the date of oath-taking on Sunday through a video released on Twitter and invited the people of Punjab to attend the ceremony.
On Wednesday, after taking the oath, Mann declared that he will not indulge in petty politics and his party will fix everything – from unemployment to farming – in the state.
In an appeal to the newly-elected party lawmakers, Mann said: “I appeal to you all to not get arrogant. We have to respect those who didn’t vote for us.”
AAP’s national convener and Delhi State Chief Arvind Kejriwal, along with all the party lawmakers of the state attended the ceremony.
In his congratulatory message on Twitter, Kejriwal said in a Hindi tweet: “Many congratulations and best wishes to Bhagwant Mann on becoming the State Chief of Punjab. I have faith that prosperity will return to Punjab. Lots of development will take place and public problems will get solved under your leadership. God is with you.”
Delhi State Chief Arvind Kejriwal Congratulates Bhagwant Mann for Taking Oath as Punjab State Chief
© Photo : Twitter/@ArvindKejriwal
Apart from Kejriwal, former Uttar Pradesh State Chief Akhilesh Yadav, Tamil Nadu State Chief M.K. Stalin, and several other prominent politicians congratulated Mann on becoming the new Punjab leader.
The swearing-in ceremony was slated to be an AAP exclusive event as no other state chief was invited apart from the party's leader Kejriwal. Besides, no federal minister or any prominent politician of the national level was invited.
The outgoing State Chief and Congress politician Charanjit Singh Channi was also not invited to the oath-taking ceremony.
However, former federal minister and Congress politician Manish Tewari was invited.
Sharing the invitation card, Tewari sarcastically said that despite being Congress’ lawmaker, Channi didn’t invite him when he had taken the oath as the state chief.
Congress Politician Manish Tewari Congratulates Bhagwant Mann for Becoming State Chief of Punjab
© Photo : Twitter/@ManishTewari
AAP swept Punjab assembly elections, the results of which were announced on 10 March, by winning 92 seats in the 117-member assembly, marking the biggest victory in the state to date. Mann won from the Dhuri assembly seat after defeating Congress candidate Dalvir Singh Goldy by a margin of 58,206 votes.
