Indian Assembly Polls: Even before ECI formal announcement, AAP celebrates a 'revolutionary' win in Punjab
Categories: Election 2022
Arvind Kejriwal, congratulated the people of India's northern state Punjab for his political party's stellar performance in the state assembly elections, calling it "revolutionary".Election Commission data shows that the Aam Aadmi Party is leading in 91 seats out of 117 in the Punjab Assembly as of 2 PM. This is followed by Congress with 17 seats and Shiromani Akali Dal with 7."Iss Inquilab ke liye Punjab ke logon ko bahut bahut badhai (congratulations to the people of Punjab for this revolution)," tweeted Kejriwal, the Indian capital of Delhi's Chief Minister and political party Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) national convenor. Along with the tweet he also posted a photo of him and the AAP Chief Ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann, showing the victory sign.As Congress entered the polls, it was battling factionalism and anti-incumbency. Navjot Singh Sidhu, the new state unit chief of the party, hinted at his own intentions to become chief minister. This was while his party changed its Chief Minister in September last year. Congress nominated Charanjit Singh Channi for the chief ministerial post days before the elections on February 20, endorsing him as the first Dalit chief minister in Punjab. Shiromani Akali Dal, which had broken off its alliance with the BJP over the three farm laws that were eventually repealed, allied with the Bahujan Samaj Party to contest the Assembly elections.BJP candidates contested more than 65 seats in Punjab for the first time, coming out in a tie with Punjab Lok Congress candidates led by Captain Amarinder Singh and Sanyukt Party candidates led by SS Dhindsa.Punjab recorded an average voter turnout of 65.50 per cent on February 20 compared to over 77 per cent in 2017.