Bhagwant Mann

Bhagwant Singh Mann (born 17 October 1973) is an Indian politician, social worker, former comedian, singer and actor who is currently serving as the 17th Chief minister of Punjab since 2022.

He represents the Dhuri Assembly constituency in the Punjab Legislative Assembly since 2022 and is also serving as the state convener of Aam Aadmi Party, Punjab since 2019.

Mann was born on 17 October 1973 in Satoj village of Sunam tehsil of Sangrur district, Punjab, India.

He completed his first year of a Bachelor of Commerce course at Shaheed Udham Singh Government College, Sunam.

Mann participated in youth comedy festivals and inter-college competitions.

He won two gold medals at a competition at the Punjabi University, Patiala for the Shaheed Udham Singh Government College, Sunam.

Mann developed comedy routines about typical Indian issues such as politics, business and sport.

His first comedy album was with comedian Jagtar Jaggi.

Together, they made a television program called Jugnu Kehnda Hai for Alpha ETC Punjabi.

Ten years later, they parted ways.

Mann then formed a comedy partnership with Rana Ranbir.

Together, they made the television program, Jugnu Mast Mast for Alpha ETC Punjabi.

In 2006, Mann and Jaggi reunited and toured Canada and England with their show, No Life With Wife.

In 2008, Mann competed in the Great Indian Laughter Challenge on Star Plus which increased his audience.

Bhagwant Mann also acted in National Award winning Film "Main Maa Punjab Dee" Directed by Balwant Dullat.

Mann acted in Jugnu Hazir Hai on MH One.

In early 2011, Mann joined the People's Party of Punjab.

In 2012, he unsuccessfully contested assembly elections in the Lehra constituency.

Previously, he was a member of the Lok Sabha from Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency from 2014 to 2022.

In March 2014, Mann joined the Aam Aadmi Party to contest elections in the Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency.

He fought his first Lok Sabha election against former union minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and won by 211,721 votes.

In May 2014, he was elected to the 16th Lok Sabha from Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency after defeating Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa from Shiromani Akali Dal.

He got 533,237 total votes and won election with a margin of 211,721 votes.

Parliamentary Committee assignments

In 2017, Mann was appointed the convener of AAP Punjab.

He contested the 2017 Punjab Legislative Assembly election, from Jalalabad against Sukhbir Singh Badal and Ravneet Singh Bittu.

He lost the elections to Badal by 18,500 votes.

In 2018 he resigned from the convener post after Arvind Kejriwal tendered an unconditional apology to Bikram Singh Majithia over Kejriwal's allegations about Majithia's involvement in the drug mafia case.

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.

Mann has denied these allegations.

In 2019, during a party rally in Barnala, Mann announced that he had denounced alcohol and swore never to touch it again.

In June 2021, MLA and deputy leader of the opposition in Punjab assembly, Saravjit Kaur Manuke held a hunger strike along with AAP activists to protest against the inaction of the Punjab government in the payment of post-matric scholarship amount of Dalit students.

Mann said that the protest by AAP members had forced the Punjab government then led by CM Amarinder Singh to release the funds amounting to 200 crores as a 40% share of the amount that the Punjab government had to pay.

In May 2019, he was re-elected to 17th Lok Sabha from Sangrur constituency in the 2019 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 against Kewal Singh Dhillon from Indian National Congress and Parminder Singh Dhindsa from Shiromani Akali Dal.

He is only Member of parliament from Aam Aadmi Party in the lower house (Lok Sabha) of the parliament.

On 18 January 2022, he was chosen as the Chief Minister of Punjab candidate from the Aam Aadmi Party for the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election.

The selection was reportedly done by polling from the public and the results were declared by the party chief Arvind Kejriwal.