In a significant political development, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suffered a major setback ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections as three of its sitting legislators officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday. The MLAs—Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, Chetan Singh Jouramajra, and Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh—made the switch at the BJP headquarters in Delhi, where they were observed raising slogans in support of their new party.
The move follows a series of resignations that began over the weekend. Pathanmajra and Jouramajra announced their departures from the AAP on Sunday, while Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh tendered his resignation on Monday morning. The mass exit occurred shortly after the AAP released its initial list of 40 candidates for the upcoming state assembly polls. Notably, the party had yet to announce candidates for the Sanaur and Samana constituencies, represented by Pathanmajra and Jouramajra, respectively.
Pathanmajra, representing the Sanaur constituency, submitted his resignation directly to AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal. Simultaneously, former cabinet minister and Samana MLA Chetan Singh Jouramajra confirmed his exit via a social media post. Explaining his decision to switch allegiances, Pathanmajra stated that as a national party, the BJP holds the potential to bring substantial benefits to Punjab. He further highlighted the central government’s commitment to curbing the drug crisis, referencing recent statements made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Following their exit, both Pathanmajra and Jouramajra were highly critical of the AAP’s internal operations. They alleged that the party’s Delhi-based leadership, specifically naming Kejriwal and his close aide Bibhav Kumar, had been interfering excessively in the governance of Punjab. Furthermore, they criticized the state administration for alleged failures regarding public safety, citing rising rates of extortion, gang violence, street-level crime, and corruption as primary concerns that prompted their departure from the party.
In response to these developments, the AAP approached the Speaker of the Punjab Legislative Assembly, requesting the cancellation of the membership of the defecting MLAs. The party clarified that both Pathanmajra and Jouramajra had already been placed under suspension for alleged anti-party activities prior to their formal resignations.
The resignation of Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, a former IPS officer, added another layer of complexity to the situation. Singh, who was well-known for his dissenting stance within the party, had previously been suspended from the AAP for a five-year term in June. His political profile is significantly tied to his role in heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that probed the 2015 post-sacrilege police firing incidents. In a message shared on Facebook, Singh confirmed his resignation from the legislative assembly, noting his gratitude for the support he received during his tenure.
The shift in party loyalty marks a critical juncture for the AAP as it prepares for the 2027 polls. With the state government already under pressure regarding its governance record and internal dissent, the loss of these three legislators indicates intensifying political friction within the state. As the assembly prepares to review the formal requests for membership cancellation, the move is expected to reshape campaign strategies and influence the political narrative in the lead-up to the upcoming elections.
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