Delhi chief minister and AAP’s national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Monday informed his party’s chief ministerial candidate for the Punjab Assembly polls will be announced on Tuesday.
The Delhi CM had on January 13 asked the people of Punjab to suggest names of their preferred chief ministerial candidates and launched a mobile number for the purpose. He even stated that his own preference for the post is Bhagwant Mann, who is Punjab unit chief and the MP from Sangrur. The party has received around 22 lakh responses under its campaign to elect its CM face for the Assembly polls, a party leader said.
The Delhi chief minister launched a mobile number — 7074870748 — on which people can give their opinion till 5 pm on January 17 by recording their voice and sending text or WhatsApp messages as to who should be the party’s chief ministerial candidate.
AAP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Harpal Singh Cheema said, “Till 5 pm on January 17, around 22 lakh people expressed their opinion and named their favourite chief minister on the number released by the party.” AAP leader Raghav Chadha in Chandigarh said the party received responses through SMS, voice calls, WhatsApp messages. AAP’s IT team is scrutinising each message and tomorrow Kejriwal will disclose the results, he said.
Kejriwal, meanwhile, had ruled himself out of the race.
“The name of the party’s chief ministerial candidate for Punjab Assembly elections will be announced tomorrow at 12 noon,” Kejriwal told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Delhi.
Voting for Punjab’s 117 Assembly seats is scheduled for February 20 and the counting will take place on March 10.
