Bhagwant Mann Hails "Captain" Arvind Kejriwal For AAP National Status

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday congratulated party chief Arvind Kejriwal and workers after the Aam Aadmi Party was recognised as a national party.

The AAP was recognised as a national party while the Trinamool Congress, NCP and the CPI were stripped of the coveted status by the Election Commission on Monday.

"...congratulations to the dreams of AAP team captain Arvind Kejriwal ji...congratulations to crore of team members...hard work has paid off...eyewitness to AAP's revolution...Bhagwant Mann," said the Punjab CM in his tweet in Hindi.

The AAP was formed by Arvind Kejriwal in 2012 and went on to sweep the Delhi Assembly elections in 2015 and Punjab in 2022.

The EC said AAP has been named a national party as it fulfilled the condition of Para 6B(iii) of the Symbols Order 1968 that accords such status to a state party based on electoral performance in four states Delhi, Goa, Punjab and most recently in Gujarat.

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema too congratulated Mr Kejriwal.

"Congratulations to @ArvindKejriwal Ji and every single volunteer, worker, and leader of @AamAadmiParty on grant of National Party status. Party's commitment of providing honest and pro-people governance has culminated in dis victory. Thank you everyone who posed their faith in us," said Mr Cheema in a tweet.

Education Minister Harjot Bains also congratulated Mr Kejriwal, saying "Today is a big day for all." "@ArvindKejriwal ji reflects the hope of every Indian, whose politics centers around health & education and thus, dreams of making India the No. 1 nation in the world. Today is a big day for all, as in just 10 years @AamAadmiParty has become a National Party," in a tweet.