As Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is set to take charge of the Punjab Cabinet, following a ‘revolutionary’ win, defeating Indian National Congress (INC) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on 10 March’s electoral vote count, chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann said that the oath-taking ceremony will be held at Khatkar Kalan.
“The oath-taking ceremony will not be held at the Raj Bhawan, but at Khatkar Kalan. The date will be announced later,” Mann said addressing party workers and supporters at Dhuri.
Khatkar Kalan, situated in Nawanshahr district, is the ancestral village of illustrious and glorious revolutionary Bhagat Singh.
Mann also mentioned that no government office will display photograph of the chief minister. He instructed party members and cabinet ministers to only display pictures of Bhagat Singh and B R Ambedkar in their offices and other walls of government offices.
The early trend on the vote-counting day had hinted at AAP’s victory in the state of Punjab. The trend went in favour of AAP forming the state government taking the lead in 91 of the 117 assembly seats.
“Punjab will now be made Punjab again”, said AAP’s chief ministerial candidate.
Mann in his statement also said that his government would work for everyone in the society, even the ones who did not vote for AAP
Mann mentioned that the thrust areas for his government would be improving the condition of schools, health infrastructure, bringing back industry, making agriculture profitable, providing security to women and improving sports infrastructure
He also said that tracks and stadiums will be set up in all villages to promote sports
Referring to the evacuation of Indian students pursuing medical education in Ukraine, he said the AAP government in Punjab will work to set ‘their own house in order’.
“Why do people go out to study, why can’t we provide facilities at cheap rates,” he asked
The AAP’s chief ministerial candidate also said that change will be felt in Punjab within one month and assured people that the state will “slowly” be put on the right track
Hitting out at opponents for attacking AAP leaders during electioneering, he said they would now have to give respect to 2.75 crore Punjabis.
Taking a jibe at the functioning of the previous Congress government when the ministers were asked to sit two days in a week in offices at Chandigarh, he said now ministers will go to the border, villages and streets to listen to problems of the common man.
Targeting his predecessors, Amarinder Singh and Parkash Singh Badal, he said, “Earlier the governments use to run from Motibagh Palace (Amarinder’s private residence at Patiala) and a house with huge walls (Badals Lambi home), but now Punjab is of the people of the state.”
