Punjab Election Results 2022: All eyes are on the high-stakes contest in PunjabPunjab Election Results 2022 Live Updates: The Aam Aadmi Party is leading in a majority of seats in Punjab, with chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann leading while sitting CM Charanjit Singh Channi is trailing in both his seats. Other senior Congress leaders like Navjot Singh Sidhu and Speaker Rana Kanwarpal Singh are trailing in their respective constituencies, as per initial trends.
All eyes are on the high-stakes contest in the state where Aam Aadmi Party has emerged as a major contender to Congress, which is looking to retain power in the multi-cornered contest. Various exit polls have predicted that the AAP’s Bhagwant Mann will unseat Charanjit Singh Channi as the next Chief Minister of Punjab. However, a few exit polls have also forecast a hung assembly in the state which had witnessed a high-stakes contest on February 20.
A total of 1,304 candidates, including 93 women and two transgenders, were in the fray. The state recorded a voter turnout of 71.95 per cent. It was the lowest percentage as compared to the voting percentage observed in three previous assembly elections.
Babbi, a voter from Badal village, said that a change is a must in Punjab this time. He was speaking to Express' Raakhi Jagga from outside the house of SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal.
AAP CM face Bhagwant Mann will address AAP workers at 12 pm at his house in Sangrur, reports Express' Man Aman Singh Chhina. Earlier, Deputy Commissioner Sangrur was seen arriving at Mann’s house with a bouquet.
Mann currently has a massive lead of over 29,000 votes over Congress' Dalvir Singh Goldy in the Dhuri constituency.
➡️ Dr Vijay Singla of AAP is leading by over 23,000 votes from Mansa constituency after round five of counting
➡️ BJP 's Vandana Sangwan leading by over 1,500 votes from Balluana constituency of Fazilka district. AAP's Amandeep Musafir is trailing here
➡️ Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Singh Bajwa, who was earlier trailing for the first time, has clawed his way back with a slim margin of 430 votes in Qadian
➡️ From the Amargarh constituency, AAP's Jaswant Singh Gajjanmajra is leading by 5,000 votes. Simranjeet Singh Mann of SAD Amritsar is at number two
Punjab Leader of Opposition and AAP candidate Harpal Singh Cheema is leading in Dirba constituency by a whopping 20,000 votes after six rounds of counting. SAD's Gulzar Singh Moonak is in second place.
Speaking to The Indian Express on the eve of the counting, Cheema said, “There is no question of having last-minute anxiety. I have just come back after an outing with my daughter. AAP will comfortably form the government and there is no reason to doubt the findings of the exit polls.”
AAP leader Manish Sisodia said that the party's victory in polls is a clear indication that Punjab has given chance to Kejriwal's model of governance.
This is the victory of the 'Aam Aadmi' (common man), he told news agency ANI.
Today was to be one of the biggest litmus tests of Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s political career. The 59-year-old contested the February 20 polls from Jalalabad Assembly constituency with no formidable opponent, but as party chief, he has a lot at stake.
However, he is now trailing behind AAP's Jagdeep Kamboj by around 5,000 votes.
Sukhbir is credited with bringing Akali Dal to power for an unprecedented second consecutive term in 2012. He is equally blamed for worst ever performance of the Panthic party in 2017 when it finished an abysmal third, behind debutant Aam Aadmi Party.
Outside the AAP office, a hoarding that says 'thank you' and features AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and CM candidate Bhagwant Mann, is already up. Though the results are not official, AAP is leading in 89 seats in the 2022 Assembly elections.
The Aam Aadmi Party is leading in 89 of 117 seats in the Punjab assembly, as per the ECI website at 11.10 am. Congress is leading in 15 seats so far.
The AAP's vote share is 42.14% compared to the 23.1% clocked by Congress and 17.7% of the SAD.
Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Singh Bajwa is trailing for the first time, reports Express' Kamaldeep Singh Brar. Akali Dal candidate Guriqbal Singh Mahal is currently leading in the seat.
Bajwa, who is also head of the manifesto committee, had earlier this year commented on BJP to a Punjabi channel, asking, “Do they have a washing machine in which anyone who joins them loses all the taint?”
Ministers Aruna Chaudhary and Raj Kumar Verka are trailing in Dinanangar and Amritsar West respectively, reports Express' Kamaldeep Singh Brar. Both are prominent figures from the Dalit community in the State
Celebrations have started in Punjab as the Aam Aadmi Party established a clear early lead in the 2022 Assembly elections.
Pathankot is the only district, which has a thumping majority of Hindu votes, from where AAP is not leading from any constituency so far, reports Express' Kamaldeep Singh Brar. Out of three constituencies here, Congress is leading from Sujjanpur & Boha. BJP is leading in Pathankot city.
Meanwhile, the Amritsar Central was considered the safest seat for the Congress party in Majha. Deputy Chief Minister OP Soni was contesting from here. However, the AAP candidate is leading here with over 1,700 votes
Actor Sonu Sood’s sister Malvika Sood of Congress is trailing in the Moga constituency. AAP’s Dr Amandeep Kaur Arora is leading as per initial trends.
Youngest of three siblings, Malvika Sood Sachar (38) is a prominent philanthropist in Moga town, known for her social work in the education, employment and health sectors. Her elder brother Sonu Sood is an actor-philanthropist and their eldest sister Monika Sharma, a pharmaceutical professional, is settled in the US.
Malvika and Sonu together run the Sood Charity Foundation in memory of their late parents Shakti Sagar Sood and Saroj Bala Sood who passed away in 2016 and 2007, respectively.
➡️ After 2 rounds of counting, Sanyukt Kisan Morcha CM face Balbir Singh Rajewal is placed at number 5 with 713 votes from Samrala
➡️ In Lambi, SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal is trailing by over 4,000 votes after three rounds of counting
➡️ Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal is trailing by 14,000 votes after round 3 from Bathinda Urban, while AAP's Jagroop Gill leading in the seat
➡️ Gangster-turned-activist Lakha Sidhana, who was given a ticket by Sanyukt Samaj Morcha, is at number two in Maur
AAP's Baljinder Kaur who is the sitting MLA from Talwandi Sabo is leading over SAD's Jeetmohinder Singh Sidhu. 'This is Punjab's victory. Punjab was seeking a badlaav since long ..this badlaav has come now,' said Baljinder.
She is considered a close confidante of the AAP’s Delhi leadership during the last five years. Her name had initially made the rounds as a potential chief ministerial candidate for the party, and she is a leader who is seen as one of the AAP’s safest bets in Punjab.
She is also one of the 12 female candidates fielded by the AAP. Here are the other 11.
The initial trends appear to suggest that it will be a clean sweep for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab.
Here are the five reasons why it’s leaping ahead of the two traditional parties – the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) – who have ruled the state for the last seven decades.
1. The clamour for change
2. The Delhi Model
3. Youth and women
4. Bhagwant Mann as the CM face
5. The farm agitation and Malwa
Read the full story here.
The Aam Aadmi Party is leading in 86 of 115 seats in the Punjab assembly, as per the ECI website at 10.10 am. AAP's chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann is leading by over 12,000 votes Dhuri constituency over Congress' Dalvir Singh Goldy.
In what could be a major upset, Jeevan Jyot Kaur is ahead of Navjot Sidhu and Bikram Singh Majithia in Amritsar East.
Jeevan Jyot is the Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Amritsar East where she is pitted against Punjab Congress president and sitting MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu and former minister and senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia.
Testing electoral waters for the first time, Jeevan Jyot is popularly known as “pad woman” for running a programme under which woman inmates were provided sanitary napkins in jails across Punjab.
Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab co-in charge Raghav Chadha, reacting to news of the party's initial lead in the Assembly elections, said that the AAP will become Congress' replacement.
"We're 'aam aadmi' but when 'Aam Aadmi' rises mightiest of thrones shake," he told news agency ANI.
Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi, who is contesting from Bhadaur and Chamkaur Sahib, is trailing in both seats, as per an update on the Election Commission website. AAP candidates are leading in both seats.
Earlier today, Channi had visited the Chamkaur Sahib Gurudwara with his family to offer prayers.
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