Chandigarh (Punjab):The Aam Aadmi Party has crossed the majority mark with 79 seats at 9:45 am in the 117 state Assembly seats for which the majority mark is 59, as per Election commission reports. The counting of votes is underway for 117 assembly seats in Punjab.
Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu was trailing at second place in Amritsar East constituency behind AAP's Jeevan Jotbkaur, while SAD leader Bikram Majithia was also trailing in Patiala Assembly constituency, and Punjab Lok Congress leader and former Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh also lagging behind after the second round of counting. Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi was also trailing from Chamkaur Sahib.
As per the Election commission of India, Congress is leading in 14 seats, followed by SAD with 7.
On Monday, exit polls predicted a clear victory for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab with the range of the party's victory varying across various surveys. AAP's Chief Ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann's residence in Dhuri is decorated with flowers and Jalebi's preparation had begun even before the counting had started. If AAP wins Punjab, it will be the party's maiden victory in the state and a vast improvement from its performance in the 2017 elections when it had finished second behind Congress.
The Congress went into the polls having battled factionalism and anti-incumbency. The party changed its chief minister in September last year even as new Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu hinted about his own chief ministerial ambitions. The Congress finally declared Charanjit Singh Channi, the first Dalit Chief Minister of Punjab, as its chief ministerial candidate days before the polling on February 20.
The Shiromani Akali Dal, which had severed its alliance with BJP over three farm laws that were eventually repealed, tied up with Bahujan Samaj Party for the assembly elections. It is the first time that BJP fought over 65 seats in Punjab. It tied up with former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress and SAD (Sanyukt) led by SS Dhindsa. BJP leaders have talked of putting up a strong performance in the polls. Punjab recorded an average voter turnout of 65.50 percent on February 20 compared to over 77 percent in 2017.
