Channi, Amarinder, Badal Accept Defeat
New Delhi, Mar 10: Political stalwarts including Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, former chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, and state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu accepted defeat in the hands of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and congratulated it for winning the polls.
Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu on Thursday said he “humbly accepts” defeat in Punjab, and congratulated Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for its landslide victory in the state. “The voice of the people is the voice of God …. Humbly accept the mandate of the people of Punjab …. Congratulations to AAP!!!” he said in a tweet.
Sidhu lost his Amritsar East seat to Jeewan Jot Kaur of AAP.
Outgoing chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who lost Chamkaur Sahib to Charanjit Singh of AAP, and Bhadaur to Labh Singh, also tweeted accepting defeat. “I humbly accept the verdict of the people of Punjab and congratulate Aam Aadmi Party and their elected CM Bhagwant Mann Ji for the victory. I hope they will deliver on the expectations of people,” he said.
Former chief minister Amarinder Singh, who fought the election under the banner of his new Punjab Lok Congress lost his stronghold Patiala Urban seat to Ajit Pal Singh Kohli of AAP. “I accept the verdict of the people with all humility. Democracy has triumphed. Punjabis have shown true spirit of Punjabiyat by rising and voting above sectarian and caste lines. Congratulations to AAP Punjab and Bhagwant Mann,” Singh said.
Singh also congratulated BJP for its victory in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Goa. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, who lost to AAP’s Jagdeep Kamboj on the Jalalabad assembly seat, said he accepts the mandate.
“We whole-heartedly and with total humility accept the mandate given by Punjabis. I am grateful to lakhs of Punjabis who placed their trust in us and 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 said. “As president of Akali Dal, I congratulate Aam Aadmi Party and their leader Bhagwant Mann on their victory in the Punjab poll. I offer them my sincerest good wishes for success and I am sure they will live up to the people’s expectations,” he said.
