Bhagwant Mann likely to be declared as AAP's CM face for upcoming Punjab polls: Sources

In a major political scoop from Punjab, Republic Media Network on Tuesday learnt that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is all set to announce Bhagwant Mann as the Chief Ministerial face for the 2022 assembly polls. Party chief Arvind Kejriwal along with spokesperson Raghav Chaddha have time and again in the run-up to the elections said that the CM face will be decided by the political affairs committee but it will surely be someone who is the "pride of Punjab". 

However, the opposing parties claim that Bhagwant Mann being the CM face of AAP is wrong information. Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who recently switched from Shiromani Akali Dal to Bharatiya Janata Party in an exclusive conversation with Republic Media Network said that it was information being spread by Mann himself because he wants Kejriwal to do so.

" As far as Kejriwal is concerned, he will never announce Bhagwant Mann as the CM face because he is well aware that Punjab is a very independent state. Once Bhagwant Mann gets a chance to be there then nobody will listen to Kejriwal," Sirsa said, adding that the AAP supremo was a very shrewd politician.

Meanwhile, with 7 lists released, AAP has named its candidates for 101 of the assembly seats. The Punjab assembly in total comprises 117 seats. 

AAP's prospects in 2022 polls 

In the 2017 Punjab Assembly election, Congress won a whopping 77 seats in the 117-member House, whereas Shiromani Akali Dal could win only 18 seats. On the other hand, AAP emerged as the second-largest party with 20 seats.

Hoping to win the 2022 polls, Arvind Kejriwal has promised 300 units of free electricity, a waiver of outstanding electricity bills and uninterrupted round-the-clock electricity. AAP's other poll promises include free and quality healthcare for all, free medicines, tests and operations, free health cards for all 16,000 Pind clinics, construction of new world-class hospitals, free treatment of all road accident victims and Rs1,000 monthly payment to every adult woman. 

With the lingering infighting of Congress, and the SAD parting ways with the BJP, a division of vote is expected. This could help AAP, and bolster its chances of winning the polls.