Mirroring 'Punjab revolution', AAP seeks to occupy Congress' space nationally

Kejriwal, Mann
Kejriwal posted a picture of him and AAP's chief ministerial candidate and MP Bhagwant Mann flashing the victory sign together.

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal along with his deputy Manish Sisodia and cabinet colleague Satyendar Jain offered prayers at the Hanuman temple at Connaught place here on Thursday as the AAP inched towards a massive victory in Punjab.

Kejriwal earlier congratulated the people of the state and termed AAP's victorious run in Punjab 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.

According to trends available at 2 pm, the AAP was leading in 91 out of the 117 assembly seats in Punjab.

On the AAP winning two seats in Goa, Kejriwal on Thursday said it was a "beginning of honest politics" in the coastal state.

He also congratulated his party candidates Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva who were leading in their respective constituencies.

"AAP wins two seats in Goa. Congratulations and best wishes to Capt Venzy and Er Cruz. It's the beginning of honest politics in Goa," Kejriwal tweeted.

Congress decimated in Punjab

The trends indicated that the ruling Congress has been decimated in Punjab, while the SAD, which contested the polls in alliance with the BSP, has failed to make much impact.

In Delhi, AAP workers assembled outside the party headquarters to celebrate and danced to the tunes of Punjabi songs.

AAP leader Raghav Chadha on Thursday said the party will emerge as the national and natural replacement of the Congress in the coming days.

"In the coming days AAP will become a national force...the party will emerge as the national and natural replacement of Congress," Chadha said while addressing party workers at a rented accommodation of the party's chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann in Sangrur.

The entire country is looking up to the Arvind Kejriwal model of governance and the "people of Punjab swept the state with 'broom' (AAP symbol)," he said.

"The era of traditional parties SAD and Congress has ended in Punjab and now the AAP will give a clean and honest government," the AAP state affairs co-incharge said.

He lambasted political opponents for running a "negative campaign" against the AAP by calling its leader Arvind Kejriwal a "terrorist". However, Kejriwal, the Delhi chief minister and AAP national convenor, gave a positive agenda and the result is before people, he added.

"When a common person decides to enter politics and cleanse the system no politician can be secure about his position," he said referring to the AAP's performance.

"We will give clean and honest politics to Punjab," he said, adding that the AAP would give a progressive government to Punjab.

The Aam Aadmi Party appeared to be heading for a clean sweep in Punjab having taken a lead in 88 of the 117 assembly seats after initial rounds of counting of votes on Thursday, with Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal and former CM Amarinder Singh among the heavyweights who were trailing.

An eerie silence descended at incumbent Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's residence in Chandigarh and at the ancestral house of former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal after their parties stared at defeat.

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