Chandigarh, Nov 2 Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Monday accepted the resignations of AAP MLAs Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh and Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra.
In a setback to the AAP ahead of the 2027 assembly polls, Amritsar North MLA Kunwar Vijay Pratap, Sanaur MLA Pathanmajra and Samana MLA Chetan Singh Jouramajra joined the BJP in Delhi on Monday.
Pathanmajra and Kunwar resigned as members of the Punjab Assembly, while Jouramajra is yet to tender his resignation as an MLA.
The AAP submitted a plea to Punjab Vidhan Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, seeking disqualification of Jouramajra and Pathanmajra under the anti-defection law. However, Pathanmajra has resigned as a legislator.
A notice will now be issued to Jouramajra to seek his response to the petition filed by AAP chief whip Baljinder Kaur, an official said.
With the acceptance of the resignations of Kunwar and Pathanmajra, the Amritsar North and Sanaur assembly segments have become vacant as of November 2.
With this, the strength of AAP MLAs will now come down to 92 in the 117-member assembly in Punjab.
The Congress has 16 MLAs, the Shiromani Akali Dal has three MLAs, BJP two, the Bahujan Samaj Party one, while one seat is held by an Independent.
Kunwar, Jouramajra and Pathanmajra switched sides in the presence of BJP national general secretary and Punjab affairs in-charge Satish Poonia and Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon in the national capital on Monday.
AAP leader Neel Garg lashed out at the BJP, asking its leaders to stop worrying about the ruling party and instead focus on its “declining political base and credibility among the people of Punjab”.
He said the trust of the people, their issues and the development of Punjab remain AAP’s biggest strengths, and no political defections can change that.
Garg’s remarks came after the BJP claimed that AAP’s ‘jhadoo’ (poll symbol) was falling apart following the departure of three MLAs.
He said the party had already distanced itself from these legislators some time ago, pointing out that Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh had been suspended from the party in June 2025. He said the political decisions of the leaders were theirs to make.
Garg asserted that the BJP should not mistake the departure of a few individuals for a loss of public support for AAP.
In a democracy, people ultimately decide the political future of parties, he said, adding that who joins or leaves a party does not matter; only policies and intentions to serve the state matter.
Criticising the BJP’s record in Punjab, Garg said the party would continue to face questions from the people over deaths during the farmers’ agitation, alleged attempts to alter Chandigarh’s status, Punjab’s water rights and withholding of the state’s funds by the Centre.
He said a party that had allegedly worked against Punjab’s interests could not expect the people of the state to accept its representatives.
Garg said the people of Punjab were more concerned about issues that directly affected their lives, including farmers’ welfare, employment opportunities for the youth, the interests of traders, free healthcare, free electricity and equitable development.
He said the people continued to support Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP because of the government’s work and its focus on public welfare.
He further said that the BJP’s political ambitions in Punjab would not succeed as long as “its policies are anti-Punjab”.
The people of Punjab, he added, would judge political parties on their record, intentions and commitment to Punjab, not on political defections.
Garg also questioned the BJP over its stand on Raghav Chadha and Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh. He pointed out that Kunwar had previously accused Chadha of being involved in facilitating the sale of drugs in Punjab, and asked how the BJP reconciled these allegations now that both leaders were part of the same party.
(PTI News)
