Bhagwant Mann with Governor Banwarilal Purohit at Raj Bhawan.
Aam Aadmi Party leader and Punjab chief minister-elect Bhagwant Mann met Governor Banwarilal Purohit today to stake claim to form the new government in the state. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at native village of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh at 12.30 pm on March 16, the 48-year-old comedian-turned politician said outside the Raj Bhavan.
"People from houses across Punjab will come to the ceremony, they will also pay tribute to Bhagat Singh. We will have a good cabinet, historic decisions -that were never made before - will be made. So, you will have to wait," Mr Mann was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The AAP leader reached the Raj Bhawan around 10:30 am.
Mr Mann, who won from the Dhuri seat by over 58,000 votes, was elected the AAP's legislature party leader at a meeting of the party MLAs in Mohali on Friday.
In his first directions to Aam Aadmi Party's new MLAs, Mr Mann asked them to spend maximum time in their constituencies, not in capital Chandigarh, and don't hanker for cabinet berths.
"We have to work for all those places where we went to seek votes. All MLAs must work in the areas from where they have been elected, not just stay in Chandigarh," Mr Mann said after he was elected leader of the AAP Legislative Party in the state - a formality ahead of his swearing-in scheduled for March 16.
"We can have 17 cabinet ministers besides the Chief Minister. Nobody has to get upset. You are all cabinet ministers," he told the meeting of 92 MLAs including himself.
He also appealed to all of them not to get arrogant and work for even those who have "not voted for the party".
"I appeal to all of you not to be arrogant. Work even for those who have not voted for you. You are the MLAs of the Punjabis. They have elected the government," he said.
AAP registered a huge win in the elections scooping up 92 seats in the 117-member Assembly.
The Delhi-based party matched Punjab's 60-year record for the most seats won by a single party in the elections which sent giants from across parties including incumbent Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Congress state chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh home with pink slips.