Three rebel AAP MLAs join BJP after first list
Immediately after the release of the first list of candidates for the Punjab assembly elections, three MLAs left the party and joined the BJP.
Days after the Aam Aadmi Party announced its first list of 40 candidates for the Punjab assembly elections, three rebel MLAs have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. They include former minister and Samana MLA Chetan Singh Jouramajra, Sanour MLA Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, and Amritsar North MLA Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh.
On Monday at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, party national general secretary and Punjab affairs in-charge Satish Poonia and state president Kewal Singh Dhillon welcomed the three leaders. Poonia claimed that the administrative and political experience of these leaders will significantly strengthen the BJP in Punjab.
Prior to this defection, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh sent his resignation as an MLA to Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan. He also wrote a letter to party state president Aman Arora announcing his resignation from the primary membership of the party. Sanour MLA Pathanmajra also shared information about resigning from the assembly membership.
Notably, the Aam Aadmi Party had announced candidates for 40 constituencies a few days ago, which did not include the Samana and Sanour constituencies. Furthermore, the party had appointed former minister Surjit Singh Rakhra in Samana and Ranjodh Hadana in Sanour as constituency in-charges, which had increased resentment among both MLAs.
On the other hand, AAP state president Aman Arora and chief spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal targeted the BJP over this development. They alleged that the BJP is gathering leaders rejected and ousted by other parties into its fold.
A police case was registered against Pathanmajra last year on a woman's complaint under charges of fraud and rape. The Punjab and Haryana High Court granted him bail in this matter in May this year. Nothing has yet been proved in court.
Key developments
- Three rebel MLAs joined the BJP after AAP released its first list of 40 candidates for the 2027 elections.
- Jouramajra and Pathanmajra were upset due to the appointment of new constituency in-charges in Samana and Sanour.
- Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh and Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra resigned from the assembly membership.
- The three MLAs were inducted into the BJP in Delhi in the presence of Satish Poonia and Kewal Singh Dhillon.
- AAP leaders accused the BJP of inducting rejected leaders.
