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Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann today dismissed a question about the possibility of him being replaced after AAP's defeat in Delhi & party leader Arvind Kejriwal's loss in his constituency. Mr. Mann discussed with the media after an AAP meeting in Delhi attended by Mr. Kejriwal, senior leader Manish Sisodia, all Punjab MLAs, and other key party officials.
The meeting of Punjab MLAs at Delhi's Kapurthala House became the center of attention, especially after a senior BJP leader alleged that Mr. Kejriwal was planning to replace Mr. Mann as Chief Minister. Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the newly elected MLA from Rajouri Garden, stated in a video that the AAP national convener was trying to remove Mr. Mann by labeling him "incompetent."
"After losing the Delhi elections, Arvind Kejriwal has called a meeting of Punjab MLAs in Delhi. Reports suggest that he is trying to remove @BhagwantMann Ji from the CM post by branding him as incompetent. He failed to fulfill his promise of giving Rs 1,000 to women, was unsuccessful in curbing drug abuse and has worsened Punjab's situation. Now, he wants to put all failure on Bhagwant Mann. He is making AAP Punjab MLAs say that Kejriwal is a 'good man' and should be made Chief Minister instead," he stated.
When he was asked about these claims, Mr. Mann smiled and said, "Let them say." He also gave assurance that the Punjab government would honor its promise of providing Rs 1,000 every month to women. The Chief Minister further reacted to Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa's opinion that more than 20 AAP MLAs in Punjab are in contact with him. "Partap Bajwa has been saying this for nearly three years. Ask him to count the number of (Congress) MLAs in Delhi for the third time," he said, after mocking Congress for their 3rd consecutive zero-seat performance in the Delhi election.
Regarding Mr. Bajwa's speculation about his potential exit from AAP, Mr. Mann said that, "Let them talk. We have built this party with our blood and sweat. Actually, they have a culture of switching sides... One of their leaders was beating a dhol to celebrate AAP's defeat. Someone asked him if he was celebrating Congress's zero score."
With AAP holding 93 seats and Congress 16 in the 117-member Punjab Assembly, Mr. Mann also shared some of the details of today’s meeting. He said Mr. Kejriwal was very grateful to AAP workers for their grassroots efforts in Delhi’s campaign.
He stated further that AAP had worked hard in Delhi, but wins and losses are part of politics. "We accept the people's mandate in Delhi, now we plan to make Punjab a model state''. Mr. Mann explained that the MLAs wanted to meet Mr. Kejriwal, that is the reason why why they traveled to Delhi for the meeting.
"In the meeting, Mr. Kejriwal told us we must take the party forward in Punjab. There will be no change in Punjab," he stated. When asked about Congress’s claims regarding AAP MLAs, he added that, "The Congress must take care, what if the few they have come to us."