MPs exodus: CM Bhagwant Mann seeks time from President Murmu

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Chandigarh, April 25

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday sought an appointment with President Droupadi Murmu, along with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs, to present the party’s position on the recent defection of Rajya Sabha MPs to the BJP, party sources said.

The move comes a day after seven Rajya Sabha MPs, including six from Punjab, left the Aam Aadmi Party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, marking a major political shift ahead of upcoming elections.

In a sudden development on Friday, AAP MPs Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak were among those who announced their departure, along with Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Swati Maliwal and Vikram Sahney.

Chadha said the group believed the party had drifted from its founding principles and values, adding that they were joining the BJP together as a bloc.

AAP leader Bhagwant Mann responded strongly, accusing the BJP of attempting to destabilise his government and weaken the party in Punjab. He said the defectors had no strong grassroots support and questioned their political relevance. Mann also linked the BJP’s actions to its opposition to Punjab’s policies on religious sacrilege laws, claiming the party was uncomfortable with recent governance decisions. He further alleged that the BJP was trying to undermine what he described as a corruption-free government through pressure and inducements.

He added that the BJP’s limited presence in Punjab was pushing it towards such strategies, while pointing to improvements in education, healthcare, infrastructure and employment under his government.

AAP currently holds 94 of the 117 seats in the Punjab Assembly, giving it a strong majority despite the recent political turbulence.