Punjab pop icon-turned-politician Anmol Gagan Mann steps down as AAP legislator
The North News
Chandigarh, July 19
Anmol Gagan Mann, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator from Kharar and a prominent young face of Punjab’s ruling party, has tendered her resignation from the state Assembly on Friday. The 35-year-old MLA, once a celebrated Punjabi folk singer, announced her resignation on on social media platform X, writing: “With a heavy heart, I have decided to quit politics. I request the Speaker to accept my resignation. My best wishes are with the party. I hope the Punjab government meets public expectations.”
Having joined AAP in 2020, Mann was seen as one of the party’s youth icons and cultural connectors, effectively bridging the world of art and activism. She defeated veteran Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Ranjeet Singh Gill in the 2022 elections by over 37,000 votes — one of the more decisive victories that year. She was later appointed Minister for Tourism and Culture in Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s cabinet, though she was dropped in a reshuffle that followed months later.
Her departure from frontline politics had been gradually visible. Since the cabinet reshuffle, Mann had noticeably receded from public engagements and the Assembly floor. If the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly accepts her resignation, it will trigger a by-election for the Kharar seat. Political watchers are already speculating that AAP may consider fielding her 2022 opponent, Ranjeet Singh Gill — who, in a parallel development, announced his exit from SAD just a day earlier. The political analysts are also speculating about the possibility of him joining BJP. However, speaking to reporters yesterday, Gill was noncommittal about joining any party, stating, “I have not decided anything about joining any party at this point so far.”
