Political Turmoil in Punjab: AAP MPs Join BJP, Chief Minister Heads to Delhi

Unprecedented Political Crisis in Punjab

Punjab is currently facing an extraordinary political crisis. Following the sudden defection of seven out of ten Rajya Sabha members from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann departed for Delhi on Tuesday morning. He is scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu at noon to discuss the state's ongoing constitutional and political situation. Alongside him, several party legislators are also traveling to Delhi.

Shock for AAP as MPs Defect

On April 24, AAP received a significant blow when seven of its Rajya Sabha members—Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Vikramjeet Sahni, and Swati Maliwal—resigned, claiming that the party had strayed from its core values and principles. Subsequently, they merged with the BJP.

Chief Minister's Meeting with the President

Among the seven MPs who left AAP, six were from Punjab. Mann's meeting with President Murmu is set for noon at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Before departing for Delhi, Mann emphasized the unity among all AAP legislators. Speaking to reporters, he stated, 'I am the only one who has been given time for the meeting.' He added, 'The President is the guardian of the Constitution and the constitutional head of the country.' Earlier in the day, legislators and ministers gathered at the Chief Minister's residence before heading to Delhi, holding placards that read 'Punjab stands with Mann' and 'Traitors of Punjab.'