曼KiBaat: How AAP's choice for Punjab clicked

Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party {AAP} looks all set to deliver a rude shock to Punjab’s traditional political parties in what can be considered an unprecedented win in the agrarian state, especially after choosing Bhagwant Mann as its chief ministerial candidate against a league of experienced politicians.

Also read: Broom vroom: Here’s why the Arvind Kejriwal-led party is winning big in Punjab

From being a party that won 20 out of 117 seats in 2017 assembly elections, AAP has come a long way as early trends showed it taking over more than 90 seats in the state, changing all political equations for a long time to come.

Also read: AAP's Bhagwant Mann to take oath at Khatkar Kalan: Here's what we know about the historical village

In the unprecedented result all the bigwigs of Punjab including former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, Navjot Singh Sidhu, SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, his father and former CM Parkash Singh Badal, and Punjab’s current chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi have all lost their seats even from their stronghold constituency.

Follow all updates from Punjab Assembly election results here

Mann has won from Punjab’s Dhuri seat by a margin of over 45,000 votes against his nearest rival and Congress candidate Dalvir Singh Goldy.

What made former actor and comedian Bhagwant Mann, who is still wet behind the ears when it comes to politics, click with the people of Punjab:

An AAP insider in Punjab

When the Aam Aadmi Party contested the Punjab assembly elections in 2017 it made a grave mistake of not putting its faith in a local leader. After its attempt to remote-control the election campaign from New Delhi failed in 2017, the party decided to take a more on-ground approach this time.

AAP’s chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann was the key. With Mann, a comedian who won many a heart with his political satire, the party managed to shun the outsider tag. His son-of-the-soil appeal only increased as he campaigned through the state promising an addiction-free Punjab.

The party slogan “Is baar na khaawaange dhokha, Bhagwant Maan te Kejriwal nu dewaange mauka (We won’t get fooled this time, will give a chance to Bhagwant Mann and Kejriwal)” struck a chord with the people of Punjab.

In fact, Mann was chosen as AAP’s chief minister face after conducting a voting among the general public.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal had said that Mann was selected after conductingvoting among the general public.

The votes were cast via phone calls, SMS, and WhatsApp messages during the party’s special ‘Janta Chunegi Apna CM’ candidate. Kejriwal announced that Mann won as 93 per cent of people voted in his favor.

Since the party’s debut in Punjab in the 2014 assembly election, when it won four seats, Mann has not only remained a constant strong face but has also attracted public interest in the party.

The two-times MP from Sangrur seat is a household name in the region.

Mann contested from Dhuri constituency in Sangrur district, which is part of South Punjab’s Malwa region. The region covers 12 of the state’s 23 districts and gives the assembly 69 MLAs.

Your friendly neighbourhood politician

For a long time, Mann has remained a familiar face among the public of Punjab through his acting and satire on TV and cinema. After working in Punjab entertainment industry for several years before entering politics in 2011, Mann has now been trying to shed the image of a comedian now.

As a Member of Parliament, Mann has been quite vocal about issues of his state and its people. He has talked about Punjab’s drug problem and the poor condition of the education system.

He had also given a speech on farm laws supporting the then protesting farmers and sought abolishment of farm laws. He has continuously spoken against wide-spread corruption in the Punjab administration and promised to take administration to the doors of people.

After winning, Mann said, “People face harassment in government offices as officers do not meet them. But from now on, officers would come to your villages as they are public servants. With your help, we would run the Punjab jointly as I am your CM. Though we need time as Punjab is amid a crisis, within a month, you would see a difference.”

As an entertainer, his first film was Kachheri. It was released in 1994. Bhagwant Mann rose to national prominence after appearing in the late-2000s stand-up comedy show ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge.’

Congress’ in-fighting vs Mann’s magnanimity

Months of in-fighting Punjab’s incumbent party, Congress, muddled its reputation as senior leaders including Amrinder Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu fought to take the reins of party leadership in the state. Later, a similar fight erupted when Congress wanted to choose a chief minister candidate and Sidhu presented himself as one.

While Congress leaders were fighting over the chief ministerial candidate, AAP’s Punjab chief, Mann, gracefully stepped aside and let Kejriwal choose one through a democratic process.

Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh in January, Kejriwal said, “Mann is very dear to us. He is my younger brother. He is the tallest leader of the party. And during a closed-door meeting, I suggested that he should be named as the CM face.”

“Mann said that we should ask the people of Punjab first and this tradition of declaring chief ministerial candidates behind closed doors should end,” he added.

Talking to the media, Mann had said that political parties don’t ask people who they want, instead they “impose” chief ministerial faces on the people.

“I told CM saab (Kejriwal) that we are a party born out of the people and if we have to take a decision, we must go back to them. The people of Punjab must feel that they have participated in this process as well,” he added.

“Like CM saab said, they will be participating in this process of not just choosing the CM face of AAP, but the CM of Punjab.”

With inputs from agencies

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