New Delhi, November 2, 2026: Three Aam Aadmi Party legislators from Punjab — Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, Chetan Singh Jouramajra and Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra — joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday, delivering a significant political setback to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann months ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
Three Sitting MLAs Switch to BJP
The three leaders formally joined the BJP at its national headquarters in New Delhi in the presence of senior party leaders.
Jouramajra represents Samana, Pathanmajra represents Sanour, while Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh was elected from Amritsar North.
Kunwar Vijay Pratap Resigns From Assembly
Former IPS officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh announced his resignation from the Punjab Assembly earlier on Monday.
He said he had submitted his resignation to Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, ending his tenure as the MLA from Amritsar North before joining the BJP.
Jouramajra and Pathanmajra Quit AAP a Day Earlier
Chetan Singh Jouramajra and Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra had resigned from the AAP’s primary membership on Sunday.
Their departures came shortly after AAP announced its first list of 40 candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections, bringing internal differences within the ruling party into sharper focus.
Rebel MLAs Target Bhagwant Mann Government
After joining the BJP, the leaders strongly criticised the functioning of the Bhagwant Mann-led government.
They raised concerns over governance, law and order, drugs, corruption and what they described as a lack of consultation with elected representatives.
Kunwar Vijay Pratap Had Been Suspended by AAP
Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh’s differences with AAP leadership had been visible for some time.
The party suspended him in 2025 after he publicly questioned the Punjab government’s handling of the arrest of Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a disproportionate assets case.
Defections Come Ahead of 2027 Punjab Elections
The timing of the defections is politically significant, with Punjab expected to vote in Assembly elections in 2027.
AAP will seek a second consecutive term after its landslide victory in 2022, when it won 92 of the state’s 117 Assembly seats.
BJP Looks to Expand Punjab Footprint
For the BJP, the induction of three sitting legislators provides experienced local leaders with established constituency bases.
The party has been seeking to expand its presence in Punjab and position itself as a stronger alternative to both AAP and the Congress ahead of the next election.
AAP Faces Fresh Challenge Over Internal Dissent
The defections have put fresh attention on dissent within the ruling party just as election preparations gather momentum.
How AAP responds to the exits — and whether further leaders follow — could become an important factor in Punjab’s political landscape in the months ahead.
Source: PTI, The Indian Express, The New Indian Express, Moneycontrol
Supreme News Network
