Former comedian and satirist, Bhagwant Mann, is Punjab’s latest Chief Minister-elect. 

His victory means that AAP has successfully managed to extend its presence outside Delhi, which seemed almost impossible till before the elections. 

#WATCH | ...Bade Badal Sahib has lost, Sukhbir (Badal) has lost from Jalalabad, Capt has lost from Patiala, Sidhu & Majithia are also losing, Channi has lost on both the seats...says AAP's Bhagwant Mann in Sangrur as party sweeps Punjab pic.twitter.com/Wuuyq9G1qw

Topical parallels can be drawn between Bhagwant Mann’s foray into politics and Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s rise to power and prominence, as both started out their lives in public life as comedians and political satirists.  

Announcing their victory on Twitter, in typical fashion, AAP used sharp satire and memetic know-how to let Punjab’s decision be known.  

In the comical video, the freshly elect political party superimposed faces from major political contenders onto the song Mast Kalandar from Heyy Babyy. 

© Bhagwant Mann

Characters bearing resemblance to Congress leaders Navjot Singh Sidhu and Charanjit Singh Channi can be seen quibbling over their attempts at wooing Vidya Balan i.e CM Seat (Don’t ask us, AAP made the meme!), all the while she strolls away from them with abject disinterest.  

In certain sequences, one can also observe Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi’s tense face next to an expectant Arvind Kejriwal.  

We told you so #AAPSweepsPunjab https://t.co/rEHbPvrRo9

With Vidya urff ‘CM Seat’ gazing longingly into the distance, emerges Bhagwant Mann, the Chief Minister-elect, surrounded by ‘The People Of Punjab’. Cue, celebrations all around with Kejriwal’s character breaking into impromptu bhangra. 

You can always trust the AAP to bring their A-game when it comes to social media, and naturally, the people on the microblogging site had a lot to say in response to this declaration of victory.  

Several users pointed out that AAP has cracked the code to make their announcements topical but also generously laden with humour. More than one user laughed along in the comments section of the video.  

A particular user warned the Aam Aadmi Party to tread cautiously in Punjab, calling it a sensitive region, “बड़ी जिम्मेदारी को अच्छे से निर्वहन करें।  मुख्यमंत्री जी से खास गुजारिश और उम्मीद रहेगी कि sensitive इलाक़ा है पंजाब तो थोड़ा seriously handle करें । (Translation: Assume these big responsibilities with care. A special request to the Chief Minister to handle Punjab seriously as it is a sensitive area) 

Finally, there was a user who found AAP’s style of announcing their victory a tad distasteful for their liking, saying “Not so encouraging video for people voted for you. Achha hota #AamAadmiParty and #BhagwantMann corruption-free Punjab ko preference de. #CorruptionfreePunjab should be your agenda number ” 

Distasteful or not, Bhagwant Mann and the Aam Aadmi Party have proven that they’re not just capable of surprising victories, but also humorous banter. 

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