Bhagwant Mann paints Punjab 'basanti' as he takes oath as chief minister | Watch

Bhagwant Mann with AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and party colleague Raghav Chadha. (Image: @raghav_chadha/Twitter)

Punjab got its youngest chief minister since the 1970s in comedian-turned-politician Bhagwant Mann today as lakhs of people donning 'basanti' turbans and dupattas turned up to cheer him. The Aam Aadmi Party leader was sworn-in as the CM at the mega event in Khatkar Kalan, freedom fighter Bhagat Singh’s ancestral village.

At the 100-acre land, where the oath ceremony took place, key AAP leaders were present also donning basanti turbans. Like party boss Arvind Kerjiwal, Mann deviated from the usual tradition of taking the oath at the Raj Bhawan. Kejriwal has famously taken his oath at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan for both terms as Chief Minister of the capital.

The colour ‘basanti’ – a trademark for Mann – urged everyone to come to the venue for the event in yellow turbans and dupattas. The venue, with lakhs of spectators, is brimming with yellow as top leaders occupy the stage. Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and other leaders on the stage also sported yellow turbans.

Watch the oath-taking ceremony here:

LIVE https://t.co/mE4pZGtu1d

— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) March 16, 2022

Mann, 48, is the youngest chief minister of the state since Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal who achieved the feat at age 42 back in 1970.

AAP swept the Punjab elections, winning 92 seats in the 117-seat Punjab Assembly showing the door to Congress that had been recently marred with infighting. Mann won by nearly 60,000 votes from the Dhuri seat.

Lakhs of people turned up at the mega event and schools have also been shut in the district. Security arrangements was ramped in the village where AAP chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal were also present along with other key leaders.