Incumbent CM Charanjit Singh Channi (L), AAP candidate Dr. Charanjit Singh (R)Photo : TwitterChamkaur Sahib (Punjab): It has been a somber day for Congress in Punjab. The party is nowhere close to a majority and the Aam Aadmi Party has already declared victory in the border state. On top of that, Congress’s apex candidate lost both the seats he contested in. Incumbent CM Charanjit Singh Channi lost in the Bhadaur constituency and his stronghold of the Chamkaur Sahib constituency.In Bhadaur, Channi lost to AAP candidate Labh Singh Ugoke with a margin of 36,964 votes while in Chamkaur Sahib, Channi lost to his namesake Dr. Charanjit Singh from AAP with a margin of 7,942 votes.This was not the first time the Charanjits were pitted against each other. Channi got the better of his AAP opponent in the 2017 assembly elections. Channi had secured a 12,308 vote win last time.Channi had been winning from the Chamkaur Sahib seat since the 2007 assembly elections. He served the constituency in the Punjab assembly for three consecutive terms.AAP MLA-elect Dr. Charanjit Singh is an eye surgeon by profession with a degree in ophthalmology. The start of Channi’s reign in the CM seat was marred with internal conflict within the Congress. The then-CM Captain Amarinder Singh had just quit the party and abandoned his post citing reasons of displeasure with party leaders. Former congress chief Rahul Gandhi visited the state to take note of the damage.Speculations pointed to Congress Punjab president Navjot Singh Sidhu succeeding Capt. Amarinder Singh as CM but soon after Charanjit Singh Channi was announced as the Chief minister.Major political players including Captain Amarinder Singh, Navjot Singh Sidhu and Bikram Majithia were defeated in their respective constituencies by AAP candidates. SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal accepted the mandate by the people of Punjab followed by CM Charanjit Singh Channi.
I humbly accept the verdict of the people of Punjab and Congratulate @AamAadmiParty and their elected CM… t.co/3ldQslry7N— ANI (@ANI) Mar 10, 2022AAP has swept the state of Punjab. The Election Commission of India (ECI) website is showing AAP with a massive lead having secured 66 seats and leading in 26 other seats. Congress has won 11 seats and is leading in 7 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party secured two seats while the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has won a seat and is leading in two.Also Follow LIVE: Punjab Election Result 2022 LIVE – Such a big mandate scares us too, we won’t break people’s faith: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal