NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) swept through Punjab on Thursday, making Bhagwant Mann the Chief Minister. This is the first time that AAP will be forming a government outside the national capital. It was a day of colours, dance and celebration at the AAP’s office, as hundreds of supporters and party workers were seen shaking their legs to “Ik mauqa dena appa Kejriwal nu… Ik mauqa dena Bhagwant Mann nu…” being played on a loop.
Decorated with balloons and flowers, the party headquarters at central Delhi’s Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg was seen abuzz with activities. The party workers splashed colours on each other’s faces, snacks were distributed and supporters wearing the ‘Ik mauqa dena Bhagwant Mann nu’ written T-shirts danced to dholak beats. The road on the way to the office was congested with streetfood vendors and supporters shouting victory slogans and showering rose petals.
One of the party workers, Vikas Ranjan, said, “It is a big day as we all have been praying for this for the last two months. It is so overwhelming to see the party office turn into a dance floor with every supporter celebrating the victory.” Big screens were set up on the lawn and outside the party office to help supporters follow the counting and the activities going on inside the premises of the office.
Meanwhile, the little muffler man — Aviyan Tomar — who went viral after dressing up as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in 2020 returned to celebrate the Punjab victory. Tomar wore a yellow turban (like Bhagwant Mann), a maroon sweater and a black muffler. He was seen flashing the victory sign on the occasion. Aviyan’s parents shared that he was officially invited by the AAP to take part in the oath taking ceremony of the chief minister in 2020.
Amid the grand celebrations at the party office, many of the party leaders were not present as they were out of town. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was among the leaders present at the event. Sisodia visited the Hanuman temple along with Kejriwal before reaching the party office.
One of the party workers, Ranjana Kumari, said, “The victory in Punjab has given us hope that Arvind Kejriwal’s government will win the municipal corporation elections as well and it will be our final victory. We all are overwhelmed and overjoyed today.”