short function, long traffic chaos
The swearing-in ceremony was a short affair of 17 minutes, but the chaos was prolonged with a large number of vehicles on the Phagwara-Chandigarh highway and one side of the main carriageway being blocked for over an hour. Even as the traffic slowed down, some places were still overcrowded as buses and vehicles carrying AAP supporters halted at Hola Mohalla langar sites.
Biography and Songs
Before Bhagwant Mann was sworn in, his biographical article, which also praised Arvind Kejriwal, sound bites and songs from people who wanted him as CM – Tere yaar nu daban nu firde ne dabda kithe aa ko sound system se was being driven over and over again.
Cheema, Arora meet new MLAs
Former opposition leaders Harpal Singh Cheema and Aman Arora, who won by the biggest margin and are now two-time AAP MLAs, were seated in a corner of the front row of the stage meant for the party’s legislators, most of the new members. A special meeting point.
Most of the people of Malwar
Since most of the buses that brought AAP supporters belonged to Pepsu Road Transport Corporation, they carried banners of MLAs or candidates who lost the election, as would be done by other parties. It appears that maximum participation was from the Malwa region, where the party made the most gains and the big guns of the other parties fell. However, apart from AAP leaders from Delhi, party leaders and workers from Himachal Pradesh and other states also attended the swearing-in ceremony.
‘Basanti’ taste of the day
As Bhagwant Mann appealed to his supporters to wear a ‘Basanti’ turban and dupatta, color was all around – on the stage, on the pandal and the ground outside. Delhi’s AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and other Delhi ministers were also wearing Basanti turbans. As journalists from the electronic media were trying to interview first-time legislators, some of whom beat the big guns of other parties, they found it difficult to identify them. The difficulty of the media persons was not that they were lesser known faces, but that all the leaders and workers were wearing ‘Basanti’ turbans. ,
‘Inquilab’, ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogans
After taking the oath of secrecy and then the CM of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann raised slogans of ‘Inquilab Zindabad’. When he started his speech he added two more – ‘Bole so nihal, Sat Sri Akal; and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. This is probably the first time that Punjab CM has raised slogans of ‘Inquilab’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ after taking oath. All three slogans were also raised by AAP supporters among the audience.
Hello Mohalla Langar Sthal
Though tea and pakoras and sufficient water bottles were arranged at parking spots for AAP supporters coming from different places, they ate at Hola Mohalla langar sites.
During Hola Mohalla traffic to Anandpur Sahib passes through Phagwara-Chandigarh highway, langar is organized annually by the people to serve the devotees.