Chandigarh: As per media reports the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is unlikely to declare its chief ministerial candidate before the assembly elections in Punjab.
AAP’s state convener Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi reportedly told Hindustan Times (HT) that the elected legislators of the party will choose their leader after the polls.
Gurpreet Ghuggi [File Photo]
It is interesting to note that contrasting the political scenario in the state from that in Goa, where the party has declared the CM candidate, to which Ghuggi stated: “In Goa, the assembly is very small and most AAP candidates there had already shown their willingness to have one person as their leader before the polls. The name of Elvis Gomes was declared following a consensus among them. However in Punjab, 117 candidates are in the fray. So the party has decided to wait for the results.”
Gurpreet Ghuggi while reiterating his party’s rhetoric that a Punjabi would be chosen as CM said “It is only the opposition that keeps raising the question repeatedly. Within the party there is complete clarity on the issue.”
Furthermore the Punjab AAP convener said the party is finalising its final list of candidates, and it will be out by the end of next week. On speculations about singer-actor Harbhajan Mann being fielded from SAS Nagar (the seat vacated by Himmat Singh Shergill to contest from Majitha), Gurpreet Ghuggi said all decisions regarding ticket allocation are taken by the central leadership.
There are speculations that AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal may try to himself take over as CM of Punjab if AAP come to power in state. The Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal have repeatedly rejected these speculations.