Chandigarh: Amid chants of ‘Rang de Basanti’, a revolutionary song, AAP leader Bhagwant Mann took the oath of office on March 16 in Khatkar Kalan village of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, who laid down his life for the country’s Independence, amidst a mass gathering of some 400,000 people.
Mann, a former comedian, 48, replacing Congress’ Charanjit Channi as the Chief Minister, became Punjab’s youngest CM in nearly four decades. He resigned as the Lok Sabha MP from Sangrur on Tuesday. He was the lone AAP MP from the state.
Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mann as the 17th Chief Minister.
He said the work would start today itself. “We are already very late. We are late by 70 years. People from all over India come to Delhi to see schools and ‘mohalla’ clinics, foreigners would come to Punjab and click photos,” he said.
Marking a compassionate appeal to people, he said solutions to all problems – from unemployment to farming to business to schools – will be found.
After the landslide victory on March 10, Mann, who won the Dhuri seat with a margin of 58,206 votes, said during the Congress-Akali Dal governments, decisions regarding Punjab used to be taken in Moti Mahal, Siswan farmhouse, and big ‘havelis’.
“Now the government of Punjab will run from villages and mohallas.”
Assuming charge at the Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh on March 16, Mann promised to work for pro-people policies.
