Bhagwant Mann | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 17thChief Minister of Punjab | |
| Assumed office 16 March 2022 | |
| Governor | Banwarilal Purohit Gulab Chand Kataria |
| Preceded by | Charanjit Singh Channi |
| Leader of the House in Punjab Legislative Assembly | |
| Assumed office 16 March 2022 | |
| Deputy | Harpal Singh Cheema |
| Speaker | Kultar Singh Sandhwan |
| Preceded by | Charanjit Singh Channi |
| Convener of Aam Aadmi Party, Punjab | |
| In office 31 January 2019[1] – 22 November 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Balbir Singh (caretaker) |
| Succeeded by | Aman Arora |
| Member ofPunjab Legislative Assembly | |
| Assumed office 10 March 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Dalvir Singh Khangura |
| Constituency | Dhuri |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office 16 May 2014 – 14 March 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Vijay Inder Singla |
| Succeeded by | Simranjit Singh Mann |
| Constituency | Sangrur, Punjab |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Bhagwant Singh Mann (1973-10-17)17 October 1973 (age 51) Satoj,Punjab, India |
| Political party |  Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) |
| Other political affiliations | People's Party of Punjab (2012–2014) |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence |
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| Profession | |
| Signature |  |
| Musical career | |
| Also known as |
|
| Genres | Comedy, satire |
| Years active | 1992–2015 |
Musical artist | |
Bhagwant Singh Mann (born 17 October 1973), better known by his stage name "Jugnu", is an Indian politician, social worker, former comedian, singer and actor who is currently serving as the 17thChief Minister of Punjab since 2022. He represents theDhuri Assembly constituency in thePunjab Legislative Assembly since 2022 and is also serving as the state convener ofAam Aadmi Party, Punjab since 2019.[2] Previously, he was a member of thelower house ofParliament fromSangrur from 2014 to 2022.[3]
Mann was born on 17 October, 1973 in the Satoj village inSunam tehsil of theSangrur district ofPunjab, India into aJatt Sikh family. He completedtwelfth grade at Govt. School at Chemma Village, Sunam.[4]
Mann participated in youth comedy festivals and inter-college competitions.[5] He won two gold medals at a competition at thePunjabi University,Patiala for the ShaheedUdham Singh Government College,Sunam.
Mann developed comedy routines about typical Indian issues such as politics, business and sports. His first comedy album was with comedian Jagtar Jaggi. Together, they made a television program calledJugnu Kehnda Hai forAlpha ETC Punjabi. Ten years later, they parted ways.[6] Mann then formed a comedy partnership withRana Ranbir. Together, they made the television programJugnu Mast Mast forAlpha ETC Punjabi. In 2006, Mann and Jaggi reunited and touredCanada andEngland with their show,No Life With Wife.
In 2008, Mann competed inthe Great Indian Laughter Challenge onStar Plus, which increased his audience.[7][8]
He acted in the National Award-winning filmMain Maa Punjab Dee, directed by Balwant Dullat.[9][10][11]
Mann also acted inJugnu Hazir Hai on MH One.[12]
In early 2011, Mann joined thePeople's Party of Punjab.[13][14] In 2012, he unsuccessfully contested assembly elections in theLehra constituency.
In March 2014, Mann joined theAam Aadmi Party to contest elections in the Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency. He fought his first Lok Sabha election against former union ministerSukhdev Singh Dhindsa and won by 211,721 votes.[15]
In 2017, Mann was appointed the convener ofAAP Punjab.[16] In 2018 he resigned from the convener post after Arvind Kejriwal tendered an unconditional apology toBikram Singh Majithia over Kejriwal's allegations about Majithia's involvement in the drug mafia case.[17] He contested the2017 Punjab Legislative Assembly election, fromJalalabad againstSukhbir Singh Badal andRavneet Singh Bittu.[18] He lost the elections to Badal by 18,500 votes.[19]
In January 2019, Mann was appointed the convener of AAP Punjab for a second time. His political rivals had in past criticized him over alcohol use.[20] Mann has denied these allegations. In 2019, during a party rally inBarnala, Mann announced that he had denounced alcohol and swore never to touch it again.[21][22]
In May 2014, he was elected to the16th Lok Sabha fromSangrur Lok Sabha constituency after defeatingSukhdev Singh Dhindsa fromShiromani Akali Dal.[23] He received 533,237 total votes and won the election with a margin of 211,721 votes.[24]
Parliamentary Committee assignments
In May 2019, Mann was re-elected to17th Lok Sabha from Sangrur constituency in the2019 Indian general election. He won his second term in the Parliament with a margin of 110,211 votes. He got 413,561 votes while contesting againstKewal Singh Dhillon fromIndian National Congress andParminder Singh Dhindsa fromShiromani Akali Dal.[26] He was the onlyMember of parliament from Aam Aadmi Party in the lower house (Lok Sabha) of the parliament.[27]
On 18 January 2022, he was chosen as theChief Minister of Punjab candidate from theAam Aadmi Party for the2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election. The selection was reportedly done by polling from the public and the results were declared by the party chiefArvind Kejriwal.[28][29]
On 9 February, Mann raised issues about farmers in the Lok Sabha. The payment to sugarcane farmers for 2020–21 and 2021–22 had been pending. He appealed for clearing the due early along with interest. He asked for compensation for the losses in cotton farmers due to the pest attack. he asked that the Union government should recognize the farmers who died during the2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest.[30]
In 2021, the Parliamentary Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution submitted a report to the Union Government recommending the implementation of theEssential Commodities Act, 2020. The Essential Commodities Act, 2020 was one among the three controversial2020 Indian agriculture acts that led to the year-long2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest. Mann publicly released his statement that was made during the Committee meeting on 5 June 2020. In his statement, Mann had raised concerns that these farm laws would increase hoarding. Removal of onions and tomatoes from the list of Essential Commodities would lead to price rise due to illegal stockpiling to increase the price and then selling at higher prices. This will create hardships for the poor. He also raised the issue of hoarding potatoes.[31]
Mann contested the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections and won. AAP won a large majority of 92 out of total117 seats. Mann was designated as the CM. Two days before taking the oath as CM of Punjab, Mann resigned from his post of MP Sangrur on 14 March 2022.[32][33][34]
On 18 January 2022, Mann was chosen as theAam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate for theChief Minister of Punjab in the2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election, based on the party's public poll that overwhelmingly weighed in his favour.[35]
On 10 March, the election results showed Mann as the winner fromDhuri Assembly constituency with a significant difference of 58,206 votes, and the next day he was elected as the leader of the AAP legislative party.[36] The party itself went on to win 92 seats out of 117 inthe state's assembly elections.[37] Mann took the oath as the 17thChief Minister of Punjab on 16 March 2022 atKhatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of freedom fighterBhagat Singh.[38][39]
Even before taking the oath, CM designate Mann took steps to end theVIP culture and met theDirector General of Police. The next day the police DGP in charge of security ordered the withdrawal of police security from 122 former MLAs and ministers. A total of 384 policemen involved in the security of those politicians were transferred to their parent unit. Mann had stated that the police force was needed for the security of the people and not VIPs. The security of former chief ministers was continued as they had been provided security on the instructions of theUnion Home Ministry.[40][41] AAP convenerArvind Kejriwal said Mann had "removed the security of old ministers and gave security to the public".[42]
On 19 March 2022, during the first Cabinet meeting, Mann announced his decision to fill 25,000 job openings in various departments of Punjab government. 10,000 of those vacancies were in thePunjab Police.[43]
On 22 March, he announced his decision to make the 35,000 employees in the state working on a temporary, contractual basis permanent government employees. He will bring a bill to the assembly to this effect. Announcing his decision he said, "I don't want these teachers protesting on the roads, I had promised to regularize their services if we are voted to power and I am fulfilling my promise."[44]
On 5 September, Teachers' Day in 2022, he announced that payment of teachers from government institutions in Punjab will be according to UGC’s Seventh Pay Commission from 1 October 2022.[45]
On 30 March 2022, Mann ordered that private schools could not hike their school fees in the year 2022. He also ordered that no school could force the parents to make school-related purchases from exclusive stores. This was done to protect consumers from an imposed monopoly.[46] On 10 September 2022, he announced bus services for girl students in Punjab government schools.[45]
On 18 March, the day of theHoli festival, Mann announced a compensation of₹1,010 million (US$12 million) for farmers whose cotton crops were damaged by thepink bollworm.[47]
In June 2022, Mann announcedVolvo bus service betweenIGI Airport and different Punjab cities of the state. The tariff charged by the PRTC and PEPSU buses for the airport were announced at half the rates being charged by the private bus operators. Mann said that this service would break the monopoly of a few families in the bus business with political links.[48]
Fulfilling their election promise of providing free electricity, from 1 July 2022 the people in Punjab would get 300 units of free electricity. 73.39 lakh domestic consumers were estimated to benefit from the scheme.[49]
On 15 August 2022, 75Aam Aadmi Clinics were made functional.[50]
On 19 November 2022, while giving a speech at Guru Nanak Dev University to commemorate Punjabi Language Month, Mann announced a government policy to require all public signboards to prominently feature Punjabi over other languages. He encouraged citizens to change their signs before 21 February 2023, after which the government will begin enforcing the rule. He also exhorted educational institutions to begin adding specialized Punjabi language courses, citing his perceived decline in the proper use of Punjabi pronunciation and grammatical rules.[51]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAP | Bhagwant Mann | 533,237 | 48.47 |  48.47 | |
| SAD | Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa | 3,21,516 | 29.23 |  4.90 | |
| INC | Vijay Inder Singla | 1,81,410 | 17.50 | 21.02 | |
| BSP | Madan Bhatti | 8,408 | 0.76 | ||
| CPI | Sukhdev Ram Sharma | 6,934 | 0.63 | ||
| Majority | 2,11,721 | 19.24 | 14.85 | ||
| Turnout | 1,100,056 | 77.21 | |||
| AAPgain fromINC | Swing | 34.75 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAP | Bhagwant Mann | 413,561 | 37.40 | 11.07 | |
| INC | Kewal Singh Dhillon | 303,350 | 27.43 | 9.93 | |
| SAD | Parminder Singh Dhindsa | 263,498 | 23.83 | 5.40 | |
| SAD(A) | Simranjit Singh Mann | 48,365 | 4.37 | ||
| LIP | Jasraj Singh Longia | 20,087 | 1.82 | ||
| NOTA | None of the Above | 6,490 | 0.59 | 0.39 | |
| Majority | 1,10,211 | 9.97 | 10.46 | ||
| Turnout | 11,07,256 | 72.40 | |||
| AAPhold | Swing | 10.5 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INC | Rajinder Kaur Bhattal | 44,706 | 37.27 | ||
| SAD | Sukhwant Singh | 41351 | 34.48 | ||
| PPoP | Bhagwant Mann | 26136 | 21.79 | ||
| BSP | Jagjit Singh | 3232 | 2.69 | ||
| Independent | Rajvir Singh | 1725 | 1.44 | ||
| Majority | 3355 | ||||
| Turnout | 119944 | 85.52 | |||
| Registered electors | [52] | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAD | Sukhbir Singh Badal | 75271 | |||
| AAP | Bhagwant Mann | 56771 | |||
| INC | Ravneet Singh Bittu | ||||
| Registered electors | 194,511 | [53] | |||
| SADhold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAP | Bhagwant Mann | 82,592 | 64.29 | ||
| INC | Dalvir Singh Goldy[55] | 24,386 | 18.98 | ||
| SAD | Parkash Chand Garg | 6,991 | 5.44 | ||
| BJP | Randeep Singh Deol | 5,436 | 4.23 | ||
| SAD(A) | Narinder Singh | 4,469 | 3.48 | ||
| SSM | Sarbjit Singh Alal | 1,188 | 0.92 | ||
| NOTA | None of the Above | 775 | 0.6 | ||
| National Apni Party | Sukhwinder Singh | 726 | 0.57 | ||
| Apni Ekta Party | Pardeep Kumar | 554 | 0.43 | ||
| Independent | Shakti Kumar Gupta | 488 | 0.38 | ||
| LIP | Jaswinder Singh | 457 | 0.36 | ||
| Independent | Vijay Syal | 230 | 0.18 | ||
| CPI(ML)L | Harpreet Singh | 166 | 0.13 | ||
| Margin of victory | 58,206 | 45.4 | |||
| Total valid votes | 1,28,458 | 77.32 | |||
| Rejected ballots | 429 | ||||
| Turnout | 1,28,977 | 77.63 | |||
| Registered electors | 1,66,143 | [56] | |||
| AAPgain fromINC | Swing | ||||
Mann began anon-government organization, the Lok Lehar Foundation, to aid children with physical deformities as a result ofgroundwater pollution in the border areas of Punjab.[57]
Mann is a comic poet who writes political satire. He is also a volleyball player.[58]
He was married to Inderpreet Kaur until their divorce in 2015. They have a son (Dilshan) and a daughter (Seerat).[59][60]
At the age of 48, Mann married 32-year-old Gurpreet Kaur in 2022. She is a doctor by profession.[61][62][63] They have a daughter, born in March 2024.[64]
Addressing a rally in Barnala in January 2019, Mann said he had stopped consuming alcohol, on his mother's advice.[65]
Maan's daughter Seerat accused him of physical abuse towards her and her mother, alcoholism, and habitual lying. She also said that she would refer to him as CM Maan.[66]
| Year | Album | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Kulfi Garma Garam 2 | Amar Audio |
| 2009 | Just Laugh Baki Maaf | M Series |
| 2007 | Haas-Haas Ke | T-Series |
| 2005 | Bhagwant Mann Most Wanted | Creative Audio Productions |
| 2004 | Kee Main Jhooth Boliya | T-Series |
| 2003 | Sawdhan! Age Bhagwant Mann | T-Series |
| 2002 | Bhagwant Mann Full Speed | T-Series |
| 2001 | Bhagwant Mann Non-Stop | T-Series |
| 2001 | Bhagwant Mann Hazir Ho | T-Series |
| 2000 | Sadi Billi Sanu Miaun | T-Series |
| 2000 | Bhagwant Mann 420 | Sun Music |
| 1999 | Lallu Kare Kawaliya | T-Series |
| 1998 | Gustakhi Maaf | T-Series |
| 1997 | Rukawat Ke Liye Khed Hai | T-Series |
| 1997 | Khariya Khariya | Tips |
| 1996 | Kursi Rani | Tips |
| 1995 | Jaagde Raho | Peritone |
| 1995 | Dhakka Start | T-Series |
| 1995 | Panj Duni Veeh | T-Series/MTL/AMC |
| 1994 | Koko De Bachhe Mummy Daddy Murdabaad | T-Series AMC United States |
| 1994 | Bol Madaari Bol | Peritone |
| 1994 | Mithiya Mircha | T-Series MTL Canada |
| 1993 | Kulfi Garma Garam | T-Series MTL Canada |
| 1992 | Gobhi Diye Kachiye Vaparanay | Creative Music Company |
| Year | Album | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Rangle Punjab Nu Bachayin | Eagle |
| 2010 | Aawaaz – The Voice | Point Zero |
| 2001 | Dam Lai Lo | T-Series |
| 2000 | Jattan Da Munda Gaun Lagia | Sun Music |
| Year | Film |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 22g Tussi Ghaint Ho |
| 2014 | Police in Pollywood |
| 2014 | Moga to Melbourne Via Chandigarh |
| 2011 | Hero Hitler in Love |
| 2010 | Sukhmani – Hope for Life |
| 2010 | Ekam – Son of Soil |
| 2007 | Apne |
| 2001 | Sikandera |
| 1998 | Main Maa Punjab Dee |
| 1996 | Sukha |
| 1995 | Nain Preeto De |
| 1994 | Tabaahi |
| 1994 | Kachehri |
| Year | Album | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Chappa Chappa Charkha Chale | Eagle |
| 2010 | Jhanda Amli Kachahri Vich | Eagle |
| 2009 | Just Laugh Baki Maaf | M Series |
| 2008 | My Name is Mann | Eagle |
| 2007 | Pappu Da Dhaba | Eagle |
| 2006 | Punjabi Bluff Master | Eagle |
| 2006 | Pappu Baneya Neta | Eagle |
| 2006 | Pappu Bhaa Ji M.B.B.S. | Eagle |
| 2005 | Pappu Pass Ho Gaya | Eagle |
| 2004 | Kee Main Jhooth Boliya | T-Series |
| 2003 | Sawdhan Agge Bhagwant Mann | T-Series |
| 2002 | Bhagwant Mann Full Speed | T-Series |
| 2002 | Bhagwant Mann Non-Stop Vol 2 | T-Series |
| 2001 | Bhagwant Mann Non-Stop Vol 1 | T-Series |
| 1999 | Bhagwant Mann Hazir Ho | T-Series |
{{cite news}}:|last1= has generic name (help)
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Chief Minister of Punjab 2022 – | Incumbent |
| Lok Sabha | ||
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forSangrur 2014 – 2022 | Succeeded by |
| State Legislative Assembly | ||
| Preceded by Dalvir Singh Khangura (INC) | Member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly fromDhuri Assembly constituency 2022 – | Incumbent |
| Aam Aadmi Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Office established | Candidate forChief Minister of Punjab from theAam Aadmi Party 18 January 2022 – present | Incumbent |
| Preceded by Office established | Convener Aam Aadmi Party, Punjab – present | Incumbent |
| Preceded by - | Member ofNational Executive Committee Aam Aadmi Party – present | Incumbent |
| Preceded by - | Spokesperson Aam Aadmi Party – present | Incumbent |
| National posts |
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| Political Affairs Committee | |
| National Executive Committee |
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| Spokespersons |
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| State wings | |
| Chief ministers |
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| Current members of Parliament | |
| Political wings | |
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