Bhagwant
Mann on Thursday said that he would take oath as Chief Minister of Punjab at
the birthplace of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. Fielded as Aam Aadmi Party’s
(AAP) Chief Ministerial candidate before the elections, Mann said that the swearing-in ceremony will
not be held at the Raj Bhavan but at Khatkar Kalan where the revolutionary
freedom fighter was born in 1907.

Also Read: Assembly Elections 2022: 5 reasons why AAP swept Punjab

“I
will take CM’s oath from Khatkar Kalan, the birthplace of Shaheed Bhagat
Singh,” said Mann while addressing party workers from the terrace of his
Sangrur residence after AAP swept the Punjab state. 

Mann defeats Congress’ Dalvir Singh Goldy

Mann,
who defeated Dalvir Singh Goldy of the Indian National Congress by 58,206 votes contesting from the Sangrur district’s Dhuri constituency, also announced that
the AAP government in Punjab will hang the photos of Bhagat Singh and BR
Ambedkar on the walls of the government offices instead of his.

Also Read: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi loses both seats to AAP

“We
will take a decision that the photos of Bhagat Singh and BR Ambedkar will be
installed in Government offices instead of mine,” said Mann.

He
also said that the government will be run from the villages of Punjab and not
from the palatial houses of politicians.

Also Read: Unemployment, youth in AAP Punjab CM face Bhagwant Mann’s agenda

“We
have to run Punjab together, earlier Punjab used to be run from the big houses
of leaders but not will be run from wards, villages and cities of Punjab,”
said Mann.

‘Forgive them’

Taking
a dig at opposition leaders, the AAP leader said that they “made a
personal attack on me and Arvind Kejriwal. Forgive them for that but from now
onwards they will have to respect 2.75 crore public of Punjab.”

As
AAP wins Punjab, it will be the party’s maiden victory in the state and a vast
improvement from its performance in the 2017 elections when it had finished
second behind Congress. Punjab will be the second state after Delhi to be ruled by AAP.

Also Read: Navjot Singh Sidhu concedes, congratulates AAP on Punjab win

Punjab
recorded an average voter turnout of 65.50 per cent on February 20 compared to
over 77 per cent in 2017.