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‘He has already become CM…’: AAP Punjab CM face Bhagwant Mann's mother
A former standup comedian, Bhagwant Mann is contesting the Punjab assembly elections from Dhuri constituency, which has been a Congress stronghold since 2012.
As Punjab votes today in what is a crucial assembly elections, Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann's mother Harpal Kaur said that he has “already become the CM”.
“By God's grace, everyone loves him. For us, he has already become the CM. People love him,” Kaur told news agency ANI, adding that if a mother has said this, one cannot want anything else.
Kaur further stated that youth, students and everyone in Punjab “wants a change”.
Mann, currently the Punjab AAP chief, is a former standup comedian who joined politics in 2014. He is a two-term and sitting Member of Parliament (MP) from Punjab's Sangrur parliamentary constituency. He is contesting from Dhuri seat and is up against Dalvir Singh Goldy of Congress. Notably, Dhuri has been a stronghold of the grand old party since 2012.
AAP supremo and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced his name as the party's chief ministerial candidate in a dramatic manner last month. Kejriwal launched a number where people could send messages, suggesting the names of their desired chief minister of Punjab. At an event on January 18, Kejriwal said that 2.3 million people sent responses, of which 93.3% were for Mann.
The comedian-turned politician has made several promises to the people of the border state, which includes eliminating the drug problem of Punjab. Kejriwal has fielded Mann as a “very honest man”, who still lives in a rented house and hasn't even taken 25 paisa from anyone.
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Meanwhile, Congress leader and Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi targetted Mann last week at a public gathering in Bathinda. He claimed the AAP leader is a “drunkard and illiterate person”. “Bhagwant Mann…passed class 12 in three years. How can we give command of Punjab to such a person?” Channi asked.
The Congress leader is contesting the Punjab assembly elections from two constituencies of Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur. The grand old party is aiming to retain power in Punjab. Polling was held in a single-phase during the day, and the counting of the same will be held on March 10.
