Punjab elections 2022: Election Commission issues notice to AAP's CM candidate Bhagwant Mann for violating COVID-19 protocols

The Election Commission on Monday issued a notice to Aam Aadmi Party Chief Ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann for violating COVID-19 protocols, reported NDTV.

According to the report, Bhagwant Mann held a road show in Sangrur. A large crowd had welcomed him in various villages, raising slogans and showering flowers. Meanwhile, the party has said that they had invited only a few locals.

Aam Aadmi Party's chief ministerial face Bhagwant Mann will contest from the Dhuri assembly seat in Sangrur district for the next month's assembly polls in Punjab.

The announcement in this regard was made by party's senior leader Raghav Chadha in Mohali last week. Mann was declared as the chief ministerial face of the AAP on January 18 by party's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal. Forty-eight-year-old Mann, a comedian-turned-politician, is a two-time Lok Sabha MP from the Sangrur parliamentary constituency.

Notably, the Election Commission of India has imposed restrictions on holding physical rallies due to the ongoing third wave of COVID-19. However, the parties have been allowed to hold virtual rallies and door-to-door campaigns in the poll-bound states.

Assembly elections in Punjab will be held on February 20. The counting of votes will be done on March 10.

In the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, Congress won 77 seats in the 117-member House, whereas Shiromani Akali Dal could win only 18 seats. On the other hand, AAP emerged as the second-largest party with 20 seats.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Published on: Monday, January 24, 2022, 11:50 AM IST