Bhagwant Mann will be the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) chief ministerial face for the Punjab assembly polls, party chief Arvind Kejriwal announced on Tuesday, following a ‘referendum’ to allow the people of the state to make the choice. In an interview with CNN-News18, comedian-turned-politician Mann spoke on what will be his biggest test, allegations that the party’s Punjab unit was being run from Delhi, his perceived lack of administrative experience, and his relationship with Kejriwal. Edited excerpts:
You have been announced as the chief ministerial face for AAP. What, do you think, is your biggest challenge? Keeping the party together, convincing people that you can execute your responsibilities, or targeting your opponents more sharply?
It is to keep the team together, to expand the family of the Aam Aadmi Party, to bring 2.35 crore people into its family, to provide solutions to the problems of 2.45 crore people. We are fighting a battle for the revival of the state and we have to take that to every household. These will be my challenges in the coming days.
Your opponents— whether it is Charanjit Singh Channi, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Captain Amarinder Singh, or the Badals — have always attacked AAP by labelling it an outsider in Punjab. How would you address their criticism that your party is being run from Delhi?
Our party is a national party. Delhi is the headquarters of our party. Congress is also a national party, and Delhi is its head office. BJP is a national party, it has its head office in Delhi. Akali Dal had gone to contest in Delhi. Was the Akali Dal a party of Delhi? Everyone has a right. People of Punjab like AAP. They had given four seats to AAP in 2014. They elected me as an MP for a second time. The party in Punjab is being run from Punjab. The decisions about Delhi are being taken in Delhi. The decisions about Punjab are being taken in Punjab.
You do not have any administrative experience. Is that not a hurdle?
You say that I do not have any administrative experience. I have been an MP for seven years. I have three districts under me where I have to deal with all officers of the administration like deputy commissioner, SSP, etc. There is not even a single complaint against me. And neither has anyone alleged that I got some illegal work done through them. I don’t do any wrong work and I don’t let go of the right thing to be done. I have experience. We have been in the opposition for the past five years in Punjab. However, we have experience of running a government in Delhi. We will take advice from them and together we will bring prosperity back into Punjab.
The Congress party is likely to declare Charanjit Singh Channi as its chief ministerial candidate. He is a Dalit. Do you feel that if AAP does not declare a Dalit deputy CM, you stand to lose?
AAP is a secular party. We talk of 2.45 crore Punjabis, which includes all. When we talk of government schools, think— who studies in these schools? It is the children of the poor. We talk of government hospitals — who goes to government hospitals for treatment? It is the poor. Our priority is the uplift of the whole of Punjab. Earlier, Punjab was home to joy, of bhangra, songs; yet today our Punjab is without hope. It will be our responsibility to bring back joy to Punjab. We have to get the kitchen fires that have died going again. The fire of the graveyard that is burning in Punjab — due to drugs, price rise and unemployment — that fire will have to be doused.
A video that was shown today said that you were inspired by the anti-corruption movement and Arvind Kejriwal. However, in the past few years, there have been challenging moments also between the two of you. How did you get associated with Arvind Kejriwal? What are the pluses and the minuses?
During the Anna Hazare movement, I had taken a bus of 52 people along with Bhagat Singh’s nephew, Abhay Singh Sandhu, who is no longer in this world. I was wearing a yellow pagdi and had ensured that Punjab was present in the movement. I had also given a speech. Since then, I have known Arvind ji. After that, he gave me a ticket to contest from Sangrur and I had won that election with the highest-ever margin. I have fulfilled all the responsibilities that the party entrusted me with. And in the coming days, if the party has entrusted me with this responsibility, I will discharge that too.
Were you confident of being declared the chief ministerial face?
One is always hopeful. The world runs on hope; “umeed par duniya kayam hai".
As AAP’s campaign gathers strength, will there be two faces? Those of Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann?
Dekhiye ji, jodi ban gai hai (see it is a twosome now). One and one make eleven. Punjab’s responsibility is with me. The ‘Delhi model’, which is famous in the world, is the brainchild of Kejriwal ji. We will work together.
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