Punjab to work for 'pro-people policies,' says CM Bhagwant Mann after assuming office

Soon after taking the charge of his office on Wednesday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the people of the state have given a historic mandate and his government would work for pro-people policies.

The Chief Minister also assured that the officers and employees would work in tandem for the betterment of the lives of the people.

Bhagwant Mann assumed the charge as Punjab Chief Minister at the state's Civil Secretariat today afternoon after taking oath at Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh today.

Mann entered the secretariat premises as Punjab's 28th Chief Minister and received a warm welcome there.

The Chief Minister received the guard of honour from the 82nd Battalion of the Punjab Police at the Civil Secretariat.

Chief Secretary Anirudh Tewari and DGP Punjab VK Bhawra along with senior IAS officers welcomed the Chief Minister by presenting bouquets.

After taking oath as Punjab CM, Mann appealed to all the newly-elected MLAs to not get arrogant, and said, "We have to respect even those who didn't vote for us. I thank you all & AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal."

He also quoted Bhagat Singh and said, "Ishq karna sabka paidaishi haq hai kyun na is baar watan ki sarzamin ko mehboob bana liya jaye."

Mann's children Seerat and Dilshan, who came from the US, had also attended his oath ceremony.

Mann was administered the oath by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit.

A grand ceremony of the swearing-in was organized at Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

AAP registered a landslide victory in the recently concluded Punjab Assembly polls, winning 92 seats, pushing most of its rivals to the margins. The Congress won 18 seats in the 117-member Assembly.

Mann, who was contesting from Dhuri Assembly constituency in Sangrur district, won by a margin of 58,206 votes over Congress' Dalvir Singh Goldy.

As the 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 the party had finished behind Congress.

( With inputs from ANI )