We accept the people`s verdict, we will support AAP in Punjab: SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal

NEW DELHI: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday said that his party fully accepts the mandate given by the people with humility. Sukhbir also congratulated the Aam Aadmi Party for their landslide victory in the Punjab assembly elections 2022.

“We accept the people's verdict. We'll hold a meeting to introspect the results. We'll support Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab,” SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said as his party ended up with its worst-ever showing at the polls as its tally plummeted to three.

Earlier on Thursday, he had tweeted, "We whole-heartedly and with total humility accept the mandate given by Punjabis. I am grateful to lakhs of Punjabis who placed their trust in us and to SAD-BSP workers for their selfless toil. We will continue to serve them with humility in the role they have assigned to us." 

Notably, the SAD had contested the polls in alliance with BSP, but both parties faced a rout. Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP bagged a historic win in Punjab Assembly polls by winning a three-fourths majority with 92 seats - the highest number of seats won by any party in the state in over four decades.

It is AAP`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 ruling Congress managed to secure 18 seats in the 117-member Assembly while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ended up with two. 

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has bagged three seats and Bahujan Samaj Party has won only one. 

Punjab witnessed a multi-cornered contest with key players being Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiromani Akali Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance, and the coalition of Bharatiya Janata Party-former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh`s Punjab Lok Congress and SAD (Sanyukt) led by SS Dhindsa.

In the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, Congress won 77 seats in the 117-member House whereas Shiromani Akali Dal could win only 15 seats, BJP netted three and independent candidates won two seats. 

On the other hand, AAP emerged as the second-largest party with 20 seats. In 1987, Congress won 87 seats. 1977, Shiromani Akali Dal won the maximum number of seats - 59 while in 1997, it won 75 seats.

AAP`s chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann, MP from Sangrur on Thursday said that he will take the oath as Punjab`s Chief Minister in Bhagat Singh`s village Khatkarkalan, and not at the Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh. 

His mother Harpal Kaur said that her son is on the right path. "I am very happy. His father must have been happy too, to see his son becoming a Chief Minister...Earlier also he was on the right path, today also he is on the right path..." she said.