Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday sought suggestions from the public to decide the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) chief ministerial candidate for the Punjab Assembly polls.

Addressing the media, Kejriwal said people can call, SMS, or WhatsApp their choice of the chief ministerial candidate on the number 7074870748 till January 17 evening. “It is almost certain that the Aam Aadmi Party Government will be formed in Punjab and the chief ministerial face of the AAP will be the next Chief Minister. After 1947, so many elections have been held, but till date no party has had the guts to ask the public who their chief ministerial candidate should be. In a historic first, the AAP is asking the public who should be their chief ministerial face. Whoever the public votes for will be made the Chief Minister,” Kejriwal added.

He said that all the surveys are stating that the AAP will get 57 to 60 seats.

“I appeal to all the residents and volunteers of Punjab to give a strong push so that the AAP gets at least 80 seats, and not just 60. I wanted to make Bhagwant Mann the CM face, but he said no.”

At the same time, AAP MP and Punjab Convenor Bhagwant Mann said, “CM sahib told me that your name can be declared as the CM’s face (for Punjab). But I told him that usually parties force a CM face on the people and do not ask their choice. For the next five years the CM has to look after the people, so why not ask the public which one of the leaders of the AAP do they want to be the CM. So if people choose, they will have faith that the CM is their choice. Therefore, the trust of the public should be secured for the CM’s face.”

He said, “I am a true soldier of the AAP. Even if my duty is pasting posters, I will do that too. If my duty is to sweep the streets, then I will do that too. Punjab is important to me. That’s why I don’t have any desire to become the CM.”