Amid reports of exodus of MLAs on the lines of Shiv Sena’s faction division in Maharashtra, after crushing defeat of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Delhi Assembly elections, party supremo Arvind Kejriwal called a meeting of AAP MLAs and ministers in Punjab on Tuesday, the only state where the party is in power. This comes amid claims by certain state Congress leaders of being in touch with nearly 30 AAP MLAs. The party has in the past also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of trying to poach its MLAs as part of “Operation Lotus” in the state.
Tuesday’s meeting has gained significance amid reports of dissatisfaction within the AAP’s Punjab unit. Speculation are rife that some MLAs are unhappy with the party’s leadership and could be considering other options. There are also speculation that Kejriwal could consider a more direct role in Punjab politics now. With Ludhiana’s assembly seat currently vacant, political observers are also discussing the possibility of Kejriwal contesting from there and becoming a part of the Punjab government.
However, AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang downplayed the reports of dissent, and termed Tuesday’s meeting a “routine strategy session”. “A party is a continuous process. Feedback from all units are taken to shape its future strategies. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann along with AAP MLAs will meet Arvind Kejriwal to discuss the way forward,” he said. According to party sources, the discussions will focus on analysing the Delhi election results and strategising for the Punjab polls scheduled in 2027.
During the elections, the entire Punjab unit of AAP, including Mann, Cabinet ministers, MPs and MLAs, aggressively campaigned in Delhi for the AAP nominees. They spoke about the works done in Punjab, including giving 50,000 government jobs, free 300 units of power, opening of 850 ‘Aam Aadmi Clinics’ on the lines of Delhi’s ‘Mohalla Clinics’, and buying a private thermal power plant.
The defeat in Delhi has come as a blow for the AAP with the opposition leaders predicting a similar “downfall” for the party in Punjab, where just three of its 13 nominees won the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
The BJP has intensified its attack on the AAP in Punjab, with party national general secretary Tarun Chugh claiming that the “countdown for Bhagwant Mann’s government has already started”. Chugh’s remarks came amid speculation of dissent within the AAP’s Punjab unit following the party’s defeat in the Delhi Assembly polls, the results of which were declared on Saturday.
Chugh claimed that the people of Punjab are disillusioned with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. “Delhi got rid of the ‘AAP-da’ (disaster) and now, the people of Punjab also want to get rid of the ‘AAP-da’. The Bhagwant Mann government has failed to tackle the liquor, sand and mining mafia,” he said, adding that the BJP would act as a strong opposition in Punjab.
Newly-elected BJP MLA from West Delhi’s Rajouri Garden Manjinder Singh Sirsa echoed similar sentiments, suggesting that Kejriwal might sideline Mann. “After losing the Delhi elections, Arvind Kejriwal has called a meeting of Punjab MLAs in Delhi. Reports suggest that he is trying to remove Bhagwant Mann Ji from the CM post by labeling him as incompetent,” BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said.The BJP leader urged Mann to remain vigilant before anything like that happens. “We don’t want a man who ruined Delhi to further destroy the state of Punjab. No Punjabi will ever tolerate him. Kejriwal ji forget this dream,” he said.
In light of the Delhi Assembly election results, where the BJP regained power after 27 years, ending AAP’s decade-long rule, Punjab Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa stated that he has been in communication with AAP MLAs in the state “for a long time.” He remarked that the AAP MLAs have come to realize that “this was a one-way ticket to the moon, and they are not coming back.” In the 2022 Assembly elections in Punjab, the AAP wrested power from the Congress by winning 92 of the 117 seats. The Congress won 18 seats, while the Shiromani Akali Dal has three MLAs. “The people of Punjab have also seen the real face of the so-called Kattar Imaandar party. Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann made lofty promises in Punjab to befool Punjabis and garner their votes in 2022,” Bajwa said, also asserting, “Delhi’s results point towards the beginning of AAP’s end”.