Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu
conceded defeat in the state’s assembly elections and congratulated the Aam
Aadmi Party (AAP) after polls results showed the Arvind Kejriwal-Bhagwant Mann
led party leading in 89 seats.

“The voice of the people is the voice of
God …. Humbly accept the mandate of the people of Punjab …. Congratulations to
Aap !!!” Sidhu tweeted on Thursday as counting of votes for the elections in
four other states were underway.

The Congress won the 2017 assembly elections
with 77 seats in the 117-member House to oust the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)
government. However, the grand old party’s slide into political oblivion
continued with the latest election drubbing, as according to ECI data the party
was leading in only 17 seats.

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The SAD, which is contesting the elections in
alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), was leading in six seats and the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its former ally in the state, in just two.

Meanwhile, AAP national convener and Delhi chief
minister Arvind Kejriwal congratulated the people of Punjab for brining about a
“revolution” in the state. “Many congratulations to the people of Punjab for
this revolution,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.

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In the tweet, he also posted a picture of
him standing with the AAP’s chief ministerial candidate and MP Bhagwant Mann,
with both leaders flashing victory sign.

In Delhi, AAP workers assembled outside the
party headquarters and burst into celebrations, dancing to the tunes of Punjabi
songs.

AAP leader Raghav Chadha said that the
party will emerge as the “national and natural” to the Congress in the coming
years.  

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“In the coming days AAP will become a national
force…the party will emerge as the national and natural replacement of
Congress,” Chadha said, adding “The era of traditional parties SAD and Congress
has ended in Punjab and now the AAP will give a clean and honest government.”