Punjab’s political arena is abuzz as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann reaches out to President Droupadi Murmu for an urgent appointment. The agenda: countering the defection of seven AAP Rajya Sabha members to the BJP, a rift Mann intends to seal through constitutional recourse.
Reliable insiders indicate Mann’s delegation might include Punjab AAP MLAs, amplifying their plea to disqualify the turncoats. This high-stakes intervention highlights AAP’s internal turmoil following a cascade of resignations that blindsided party loyalists.
The fracture became undeniable during a high-profile presser where Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, and Sandeep Pathak bid farewell to AAP, disclosing their shift alongside Harbhajan Singh, Swati Maliwal, Vikram Sahni, and Rajinder Gupta. Their BJP induction, officiated by JP Nadda’s deputy Nitin Nabin, marked a bold realignment.
Responding with fire, Mann lambasted the defectors and BJP alike. ‘The party is bigger than any one person,’ he proclaimed, dismissing the MPs as unrepresentative of Punjab’s ethos. He portrayed their exit as a desperate ploy after failing to tarnish his leadership, underscoring BJP’s divisive tactics.
Mann’s rhetoric painted a vivid picture: ‘These 6-7 MPs aren’t even Punjabi at heart; they betrayed voters who gave them seats without demanding street-level struggles.’ He warned of Punjabis’ unforgiving memory for treachery, vowing that even in BJP, their futures look bleak.
This saga transcends Punjab, spotlighting anti-defection law enforcement and inter-party poaching. As Mann’s presidential bid unfolds, it could galvanize AAP supporters while pressuring defectors, reshaping alliances in the run-up to national polls.
