New Delhi: Chief Minister-elect Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday will take oath as the Punjab chief minister. Bhagwant Mann is all set to don his traditional ‘basanti’ turban during the oath-taking ceremony in this village of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, who laid down his life for the country’s Independence amidst a mass gathering of some 5,00,000 audience.
Earlier, Bhagwant Mann had requested people across the state to reach Khatkar Kalan, some 80 km from the state capital Chandigarh on the highway to Jalandhar in Nawanshahr district, for the swearing-in ceremony by wearing ‘basanti’ (yellow) turbans and draping yellow shawls or stoles. “We will colour Khatkar Kalan in ‘basanti rang’ that day,” Mann said in a message, news agency IANS reported
The oath-taking ceremony is taking places days ahead of the death anniversaries of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru who were hanged by the British colonialists on March 23, 1931.
The oath ceremony of Bhagwant Mann’s cabinet, which may comprise 17 members, will be held later, sources were quoted as saying by IANS.
Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had won 92 seats in Punjab — up from 20 in 2017 with its vote share rising to 42.4 per cent. Bhagwant Mann on Sunday had met Governor Banwarilal Purohit at the Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh and staked claim to form the government.
“We also informed the Governor about the place and time of the swearing-in ceremony. I have invited all the people of Punjab to come to Khatkar Kalan for this historic occasion. On March 16, not only us and our ministers, all the people of Punjab will take an oath to make Punjab prosperous again. We all together make Punjab prosperous.”
In his directive to newly elected party legislators, Mann asked them to spend maximum time in their constituencies, not in capital Chandigarh, and not to hanker for Cabinet berths.
“We have to work for all those places where we went to seek votes. All MLAs must work in the areas from where they have been elected, not just stay in Chandigarh,” Bhagwant Mann was quoted as saying after he was elected the leader.
(With inputs from IANS)
