Capt Amarinder Singh lauds Punjabis for voting above caste lines, congratulates AAP on historic win in State Assembly polls

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], March 10 (ANI): As the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) registered 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, former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday said that Punjabis have shown the true spirit of Punjabiyat by rising and voting above sectarian and caste lines, and congratulated AAP and its chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann.
"I accept the verdict of the people with all humility. Democracy has triumphed. Punjabis have shown the true spirit of Punjabiyat by rising and voting above sectarian and caste lines. Congratulations to @AAPPunjab and @BhagwantMann," tweeted Singh.
The Punjab Lok Congress Party chief and two-time chief minister lost from Patiala Urban by a margin of 19,873 votes to Aam Aadmi Party's Ajit Pal Singh Kohli according to Assembly poll results declared by the Election Commission on Thursday.
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.
The polling in Punjab took place on February 20 on 117 assembly seats. (ANI)