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AAP names Bhagwant Mann as CM pick for Punjab

AAP is the first — so far the only — party to announce a chief ministerial candidate in Punjab. It had avoided doing so in the previous election and this time round, had held out until now, reports Asian Lite News

Bhagwant Mann is Aam Aadmi Party (AAP’s) chief ministerial candidate for Punjab, Arvind Kejriwal said today in a dramatic reveal of the results of a televote in which people were asked to phone in their choice.

Bhagwant Mann, a two-time AAP MP from Sangrur, received more than 93 per cent of the votes cast through phone and WhatsApp, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal told reporters. More than 21 lakh people participated in the vote, AAP said.

Around 3 per cent votes were in the name of Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, Kejriwal shared. Some even chose Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, but those votes were considered invalid.

“It is clear that AAP will win the Punjab election. In a way, the person chosen as the Chief Ministerial candidate will be the next Chief Minister of Punjab,” Kejriwal said at an auditorium in Mohali.

The auditorium erupted in cheers and slogan-shouting as a montage on Bhagwant Mann played out on a giant screen.

“People laughed when they see my face. But now they cry and say, save us,” Mann, a standup comic, said.

Punjab will vote on February 20 and the results will be declared on March 10. 

AAP is the first — so far the only — party to announce a chief ministerial candidate in Punjab. It had avoided doing so in the previous election and this time round, had held out until now.

Last week, AAP asked the people of Punjab to dial, WhatsApp or SMS on 7074870748 to name their choice for Chief Minister.

AAP’s poster on the televote said: “Janta chunegi apna CM (People will choose their Chief Minister). Call 7074870748.”

Mann, AAP’s Punjab chief, had waited long for the party to name him as its presumptive chief minister.

Mann joined the AAP in 2014.  He won the Lok Sabha election from Sangrur but lost in the 2017 Punjab polls to Akali Dal’s Sukhbir Singh Badal. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he won again from Sanrgur.

Known for his oratory in Parliament, Mann also enjoys a wide support base among people and party leaders. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said Mann received over 93 per cent of votes in the televoting drive in which people were asked to phone in their choice for the top post.

Frequently targeted by rivals over his drinking, Mann took a vow to never drink again at a party event in 2019, his mother by his side.

Reports had earlier suggested AAP was also in touch with Balbir Rajewal, a farm union leader, as a chief ministerial candidate.

Kejriwal told reporters last week that he wanted Mann for the top post but it was the MP who pushed for a public vote.

“Bhagwant Mann is very dear to me. He is my chhota bhai (younger brother). He is the biggest leader of AAP. I was also saying he should be the Chief Minister candidate. But then he said no…the people must decide,” said Kejriwal.

AAP has emerged as a strong challenger to Punjab’s ruling Congress in the coming elections. The other lead players are the BJP-Amarinder Singh alliance and the Akali Dal-led grouping.

In the 2017 assembly election, the Congress party won 77 of the 117 constituencies of Punjab. AAP had emerged second, winning 20 seats. The Akali Dal had won 15 seats and its now separated alliance partner BJP had won three seats.

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AAP may just fall short of majority in Punjab

The surprise of the pack is AAP’s Bhagwant Mann, who has shot to 23 per cent approval rating in the latest round of the survey, up from 13 per cent last time…reports Asian Lite News

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress are projected to poll 40 per cent and 36 per cent votes in Punjab, respectively, as per the ABP-CVOTER Battle for the States survey.

The 117-member Punjab Assembly will go to the polls on February 14, and the counting of votes will be taken up on March 10.

The numbers could propel the AAP in pole-position as far as the race for Punjab is concerned, as per the survey.

But despite the lead in vote share, AAP may just fall short of majority due to regional distribution of voter base. Also, Congress is benefiting from its Mayawati moment by installing the first Dalit CM in the state, Charanjit Singh Channi, thus consolidating its hold over Dalit voters.

Charanjit Singh Channi

The sample size for the survey was 14,360 across 117 Assembly seats in Punjab.

Regardless of AAP’s continued lead, there is a distinct possibility of amplification of the current trend of convergence with Congress’ vote share. If the race tightens any further, the eventual outcome will be decided on a seat-by-seat basis. Therefore, candidate selection may become very important.

Which brings us to the conclusion that this is a waveless election in Punjab. For all the political and social turmoil witnessed in the state, the electorate is remarkably split in its expression. If this situation continues to hold for another month, we may see a hung Vidhan Sabha in Punjab with AAP emerging as the single largest party, closely followed by the Congress.

Shiromani Akali Dal’s (Badal) projected vote share has declined by 2 per cent from the last round, and it is expected to poll 18 per cent votes and may win around 20 seats in the Badal family strongholds. Currently it seems to be out of reckoning, but the party’s performance will most certainly act as the tie-breaker between AAP and Congress.

Amarinder Singh’s alliance with the BJP does not seem to be adding up to anything significant. Currently the vote share (2.5 BJP) and seat share (2 seats) of the grouping is projected to remain in lower single digits. However, the alliance’s performance may influence the fate of around 30 seats.

Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi is preferred by 29 per cent Punjabis as the CM candidate in 2022 polls, and interestingly this number corresponds to the rough headcount of Dalit population in Punjab. Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu is preferred by only 6 per cent of the voters. AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal is preferred by 17 per cent voters while Sukhbir Singh Badal of the SAD is the choice of 15 per cent Punjabis.

The surprise of the pack is AAP’s Bhagwant Mann, who has shot to 23 per cent approval rating in the latest round of the survey, up from 13 per cent last time.

If AAP declares him as the CM face, it could consolidate his numbers further as the total support for Kejriwal and Mann is almost 10 per cent more than Channi and 5 per cent more than Channi and Sidhu put together.

Regionally, the Dalit population is more concentrated in Doaba and Majha regions that account for a total of 48 seats. The Congress is projected to win 25 out of its 40 seats from these two regions. AAP is doing significantly better in Malwa region that accounts for the remaining 69 seats. It is expected to win 41 of its 55 seats from Malwa alone.

Therefore, the three X factors that will ultimately decide the Punjab verdict are as follows :

* The relative sweep of AAP and Congress in their respective strongholds

* The performance of Akali Dal and its potential impact on AAP and Congress

* Ability of Amarinder Singh to dent the prospects of Congress

For now, despite a reenergised and repositioned political stance, Congress is facing more headwinds than AAP. Also, the rural peasantry, fresh from the protests at Singhu border, is unlikely to fully trust the Akali Dal or Congress. Both these parties have baggage with Jatt farmers that dominate the rural polity.

In terms of Jatt Sikh politics, the survey projections are indicative of an emerging vacuum. From 1997-2021, Punjab saw a duopoly of Badal-Amarinder, and currently no leader is polling enough support to inherit the mantle of Jatt leadership. Sukhbir Badal is liked by some sections while others prefer Bhagwant Mann. Navjot Sidhu’s theatrics have not helped him gain traction in state politics, despite the outsized media imagery projected.

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AAP promises free electricity within 24 hrs of coming to power in UP

The AAP leader also promised free electricity to farmers if his party came to power and all cases related to power issues would be withdrawn…reports Asian Lite News.

Ahead of the 2022 Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia on Thursday assured to relieve people of high electricity bills by promising 300 units of free electricity within 24 hours of them coming to power in the state.

“AAP will give people of Uttar Pradesh respite from high electricity bills. Within 24 hours of coming to power, our government will provide 300 units of free electricity for residential use to every single person in the state,” Sisodia – Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister tweeted.

The AAP leader is in Lucknow on Thursday to lay the ground for the upcoming polls early next year.

He said that Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal firmly believes that electricity is a basic right of every citizen and not a luxury. It is the duty of every government to provide electricity to its people.

“We will ensure that the people get electricity without any disruption. UP has power plants and therefore it is better positioned than Delhi,” he said.

The AAP leader also promised free electricity to farmers if his party came to power and all cases related to power issues would be withdrawn.

Deputy CM’s visit to the Hindi-belt state came just a day after Sanjay Singh, Uttar Pradesh in charge of AAP, released the list of 100 Vidhan Sabha in charge, including 35 from the other backward castes (OBCs), of the party as the party candidates for assembly polls.

“We have given representation to all communities on the list. Doctors, engineers, advocates, postgraduate, farmers and youths figure on our list,” Singh had said, adding that some candidates could be changed later if they do not seem to be in line with the party’s policies and programmes.

BJP making efforts to win seats lost in last assembly polls

The Uttar Pradesh BJP is putting extra efforts on those seats which the saffron party lost in the 2017 assembly polls. Leading from the front, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BJP Uttar Pradesh chief Swatantra Dev Singh have already started visiting these constituencies to reach out to the voters.

A senior party functionary said that the party leadership including the chief minister has decided to give special focus to the seats which the party had lost in the last assembly polls. “Around 80 seats we lost in 2017 assembly polls and we are working on to win these seats in next year’s state elections. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and state president Singh will be visiting all these constituencies in future,” he said.

During their visit, Adityanath and Singh will interact with people and tell them about the works of the BJP government at the Centre and in the state. Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesperson Harish Chandra Srivastava told IANS that the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and party state president have started visiting assembly constituencies which they have lost in last polls.

“Chief Minister Adityanath and state president Singh will hold public rallies or meetings to explain to people about several development and welfare initiatives started by the BJP government at the Centre and Uttar Pradesh. First such program was held in Kushinagar,” Srivastava said.

The party feels that among these seats many were lost with thin margins and with little extra efforts it can be won this time. “After Adityanath and Singh’s visit to these assembly segments, the party workers will get in touch with voters at regular intervals,” another party functionary said.

BJP state unit leaders claim that winning these seats not only increase the party tally in assembly but also balance any possible loss of existing seats. “There is no anti-incumbency against the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh and by winning these seats; we will be increasing our numbers in the next assembly polls. Seeing the development in these constituencies, people have realised the pace of development will be accelerated by electing BJP MLA,” another party leader said.

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AAP to contest all 403 seats in UP, no alliances

Singh said that AAP’s Tiranga Sankalp Yatra will be taken out in all 403 constituencies of the state in the coming days…reports Asian Lite News.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has set to rest all speculations about alliances for the upcoming UP Assembly elections.

The party has announced that it will field candidates for all 403 seats in the in the 2022 state election.

Sanjay Singh, AAP’s Uttar Pradesh in-charge, has asked party workers to get involved in the preparations for the elections at the booth level in order to fight the imminent polls with full force.

Singh said that AAP’s Tiranga Sankalp Yatra will be taken out in all 403 constituencies of the state in the coming days.

“Through this, we want to tell the people what real nationalism is. Our nationalism is that every poor child should have access to a better school to study. As in Delhi, the dream for better schools should be achieved in Uttar Pradesh too. Like mohalla clinics in Delhi, every village should have better hospitals or clinics. There should be electricity in the homes of the poor – 300 units should be available free of cost.” Sanjay Singh said.

He said that the nationalism of AAP is that they will provide good health and education to the people of Uttar Pradesh.

“We do not have a cremation-making ideology. The BJP made crematoriums in every village during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2017, they had said that they would do so,” he said.

Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh slammed the ruling government in Uttar Pradesh. He alleged that many incidents that hurt the pride of the tricolour had taken place in Uttar Pradesh under the BJP government.

“Everyday incidents of rape against daughters take place here. Instead of providing justice, the government forcibly burns the victim’s body in the dark of night,” he alleged.

He also slammed the BJP for allowing scams to take place in the state.

“Whether it is the purchase of medical equipment like oximeter, oxygen cylinders and thermometer or purchase of land for Ram temple or the scam in the Jal Jeevan Mission, the state government has no answer to our questions,” he said.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh also mentioned the party’s recently concluded membership drive in Uttar Pradesh during the meeting on Tuesday. He claimed that around one crore new members from Uttar Pradesh had joined the party in one month’s time.

The Uttar Pradesh election is scheduled to be held early next year.

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