Punjab polls: AAP faction holding meets pressing on Kejriwal to declare Mann as CM face
Move being seen as a pressure-building tactic on the party high command even as state party chief is not saying anything on the issue
A faction of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has started holding meetings, particularly in Sangrur and Barnala districts, pressing on party’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal to announce state unit president Bhagwant Mann as chief ministerial candidate for the 2022 assembly elections.
Though Mann is not saying anything on the issue, the move is being seen as a pressure-building tactic on the party high command by many.
On Thursday, Kotkapura MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan and singer-turned-AAP leader Balkar Sidhu met Mann at his Sangrur residence. Also, the party volunteers, who had come to meet the Sangrur MP, raised slogans in his favour as the CM candidate.
Sandhwan said Mann was fighting a relentless battle against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the corporate houses. “Kejriwal and the parliamentary affairs committee will take a call on this and our CM candidate will be announced before the Congress,” he added.
Party’s Mehal Kalan MLA Kulwant Singh Pandori also held a meeting with workers in his constituency and appealed to Kejriwal to announce Mann as CM face.
At Lehra, AAP workers held a meeting and asked the party high command not to delay announcing of Mann as the CM face.
On Wednesday, over 300 workers held a meeting in Barnala raising a similar demand.
“We held a meeting and demanded that Mann should be announced as CM face because he built the party in Punjab and worked hard to serve the state,” said Shishpal Anand who organised the meeting at Lehra.
Baljit Singh, who is party ticket aspirant from the Barnala segment, said, “We have been working with the party for a long time. Bhagwant Mann is the first choice of volunteers.”
Jagwinder Singh, who reached to meet Mann from Dharampura of Mansa, said, “There is a key issue in Punjab about who will be CM face of AAP. Those who wanted change in Punjab have a single hope from AAP and Bhagwant Mann. Everyone believes one person who can defeat the Badals, Capt Amarinder Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu. That is Mann”
Barnala MLA Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said the party realised the CM face should be declared in advance. “The AAP will announce CM face on appropriate time,” added the Barnala MLA.
