Uttarakhand and Punjab Election Results 2022: AAP wins Punjab, BJP set to create history in Uttarakhand

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) inches towards historic victory in Punjab with party's CM candidate Bhagwant Mann winning from Dhuri with a margin of 58,206 votes. Mann received his winning certificate in Sangrur district and said the oath-taking ceremony of the new cabinet will be held at Khatkar kalan in Nawanshahr district, the ancestral village of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

According to Election Commission of India AAP won 89 seats and is leading in three seats confirmed as of 6pm with Mann winning from Dhuri assembly seat. Congress won from six seats with one each going to Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and an independent candidate.

While addressing party workers and supporters in Dhuri, Mann said no government office will carry photograph of the Chief Minister. Instead, photos of Bhagat Singh and Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar will be put on walls in government offices.

"The thrust areas for his government would be improving the condition of schools, health infrastructure, bringing back industry, making agriculture profitable, and improving sports infrastructure," said Mann.

LIVE: Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur Elections Results Updates

Swaraj India president and former AAP leader Yogendra Yadav has termed the Arvind Kejriwal-led party’s performance in Punjab as “spectacular and extraordinary”, but said it’s more “an indictment” of the “entire political establishment” rather than the success of a party in the electoral battle. Speaking to PTI, he said people of the state have given their mandate to the AAP as it managed to present itself as the “only visible political alternative”.

AAP's national convener Arvind Kejriwal congratulated the people of the state for this revolution.

To celebrate the impending result announcement, Delhi Cheif Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia, and cabinet colleague Satyendar Jain offered prayers at the Hanuman temple at Connaught Place in the capital.

Kejriwal earlier congratulated the people of the state and termed AAP's victorious run in Punjab as a "revolution". "Many congratulations to the people of Punjab for this revolution," Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi. The AAP convener also posted a picture of him and AAP's chief ministerial candidate and MP Bhagwant Mann flashing the victory sign together. SAD chief Sukhbir Badal "accepted the mandate given by Punjabis" with former CM and Punjab Lok Congress president Amarinder Singh accepting defeat. Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi lost the electoral battle from both the assembly seats he contested from -- Bhadaur and Chamkaur Sahib. Channi faced a drubbing at the hands of Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) greenhorn Labh Singh Ugoke in Bhadaur seat. Ugoke won by 37,558 votes. Channi also bit the dust in Chamkaur Sahib, where he was defeated by AAP's Charanjit Singh by a margin of 7,942 votes. Taking to Twitter, Channi said he humbly accepts the mandate of the people of Punjab. "I humbly accept the verdict of the people of Punjab and Congratulate @AamAadmiParty and their elected CM @BhagwantMann Ji for the victory. I hope they will deliver on the expectations of people," he said. "We whole-heartedly & with total humility accept the mandate given by Punjabis. I am grateful to lakhs of Punjabis who placed their trust in us & to to SAD-BSP workers for their selfless toil. We will continue to serve them with humility in the role they have assigned to us," Badal tweeted. In a statement, Amrinder Singh said, "While winning and losing is the natural outcome of elections, at the end it was a victory of democracy in Punjab." Amarinder, 79, was defeated by Aam Aadmi Party candidate Ajit Pal Singh Kohli from Patiala (Urban) by a margin of 19,873 votes. He had formed the Punjab Lok Congress after quitting the Congress last year owing to his unceremonious exit as the chief minister. Captain Singh also congratulated BJP on its performance in the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur. Leader of Opposition in the current Assembly, Harpal Singh Cheema, won from the Dirba seat. AAP leader defeated SAD nominee Gulzar Singh by a margin of 50,655 votes. Accepting defeat in Punjab, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "In Punjab, Congres presented a new leadership through Charanjit Singh Channi who is son of the soil, but the entire anti-incumbency of 4.5 years under Captain Amarinder Singh could not be overcome and hence people voted for AAP for change." Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia were trailing from Amritsar East seat. Jeevan Jyot Kaur of AAP was in the lead by over 4,500 votes.

"The voice of the people is the voice of God . Humbly accept the mandate of the people of Punjab . Congratulations to Aap !!!" Sidhu said in a tweet.

BJP ahead in Uttarakhand

The ruling BJP is all set to return to power in Uttarakhand  for the second time as it has already won 25 seats and is leading in 22. Indian National Congress has won 11 seats and is leading on 18 seats. Independent candidates are ahead on two seats while BSP has won one seat and is leading in another, data on Election Commission website said.

This victory for BJP is slated to be historic as it is going to hold on to power in the state where the anti-incumbency factor has not let any party retain power since 2000.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Congress' Harish Rawat who led campaigns of their respective parties are trailing on their respective seats of Khatima and Lalkuan.

Dhami is trailing behind Congress's Bhuvan Chandra Kapri in Khatima by 6,900 votes.

"BJP is forming govt with 2/3 majority. New records are being made since PM Modi became PM. I am thankful to party and central leadership for giving an opportunity to a person like me of a humble background," said Dhami.

The ruling BJP is seeking a second consecutive term in office, something which has never happened in the state's 21-year history.

Congress leader Harish Rawat said, "Our campaign strategy was insufficient & I accept it as chairman of Complaint Committee. People worked very well & I'd like to thank them. I couldn't win people's trust but I'd like to congratulate my daughter & all the winning candidates who won."

BJP leader Kailash Vijavargiya said, "We already knew that we'll form the government as PM Modi fulfilled all the promises he made to the people of Uttarakhand & CM Pushkar Singh Dhami too resolved issues of the people in the last 6 months."

Under the leadership of PM Modi and CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, we gave welfare policies to the people of Uttarakhand and have got expected results, said Union minister & state in-charge Pralhad Joshi as BJP inches towards victory.

Exit poll predictions

Punjab

In what comes as a surprise, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP is all set to script history in Punjab.

If exit polls are to be believed, the AAP which fielded Bhagwant Mann as its CM face will unseat the Congress which is led by chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi. This will mark the party's political foray outside Delhi.

High political drama ensued ahead of the elections in the Congress camp. Late last year, Captain Amarinder Singh who led Congress to victory in 2017 was removed as the CM.

He was replaced by Channi who became the first Dalit CM of Punjab.

It was a strategic move by the Congress. 33 per cent of Punjab's total population belongs to the Dalit community.

As for Singh, he formed his own party called the Punjab Lok Congress which fought the polls in alliance with the BJP.

The saffron party's former ally Shiromani Akali Dal teamed up with the Bahujan Samaj Party while both the Congress and AAP decided to go solo.

Issues that dominated the polls were farmers' protests, sacrilege incidents, and cases related to the sand mafia.

There are a total of 117 Assembly seats in Punjab. The majority mark is 59.

India Today-Axis My India poll has predicted 76-90 seats for AAP, 19-31 seats for the Congress and 1-4 seats for the BJP.

Similarly, Today's Chanakya predicted 100 seats for AAP, 10 for Congress, and one for BJP. Pollsters have said that the trends indicate strong anti-incumbency in the border state.

Uttarakhand

In the hill state, it's going to be a neck and neck fight between the ruling BJP led by chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and the Congress which is led by former CM Harish Rawat.

In 2021, BJP replaced three CMs in four months until it settled for Dhami who is an MLA from the Khatima constituency.

In its manifesto, the ruling BJP promised government jobs, free LPG cylinders, and infrastructural development. Its main competitor Congress also focused on employment.

The Uttarakhand Assembly has 70 seats while the majority mark is 36.

The exit polls have given mixed results. Some indicated that the state will remain saffron while others predicted a hung assembly.

According to India Today-Axis My India and Today's Chanakya polls, BJP will get a majority.

In contrast, ABP News C-Voter has predicted a majority for Congress.

2017 election results

In 2017, Congress won 77 of 117 seats in Punjab while AAP came a distant second with 20 seats.

In Uttarakhand, the BJP won 57 of 70 seats while the Congress won 11 seats and independent candidates won the remaining two.

With inputs from agencies

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