Stating that "for the first time in India’s history, the people will decide who their Chief Minister (CM) candidate should be,” Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal asked the people of the state to select his party’s CM face.
Announcing a phone number, Kejriwal urged the people of Punjab to WhatsApp, SMS or call on the number at any time until 5 pm on 17 January, to state who they want as the AAP’s CM candidate.
“Based on all the responses received, Aam Aadmi Party will decide who the Punjab CM candidate will be,” Kejriwal said.
Further, Kejriwal said:
“Bhagwant Mann is very dear to me, he is like a younger brother. I was also saying that we should make him the CM face for Punjab Assembly elections, but he said let the people of Punjab decide this.”
Mann, who is the Punjab President of Aam Aadmi Party, on his part, said:
“We have also emerged from among the common people, why should we not declare the CM candidate only after asking the people themselves? When the public themselves selects their chief minister, then they also feel confident that this is our own guy.”
Meanwhile, a poll shared by AAP MLA Naresh Balyan, asking "Who should be the CM of Punjab?" on Twitter, lists all four options as Bhagwant Mann.
Many in the party feel the result is a forgone conclusion in favour of Bhagwant Mann.
On Wednesday, 12 January, Kejriwal had said that AAP’s chief ministerial face for the Punjab will be announced next week.
The state of Punjab is slated to go to the polls in February, with the Election Commission recently announcing 14 February as the date of polling for the first phase.
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