Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has called a meeting of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs and ministers in Punjab following the party’s defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections. The meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, comes amid claims from Punjab Congress leaders that they are in contact with nearly 30 AAP MLAs.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the Delhi Assembly elections, ending AAP’s 10-year rule and returning to power in the capital after 27 years.
Punjab Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa claimed that he has been in contact with AAP MLAs in Punjab “for a long time” and stated, “The AAP MLAs realised that this was a one-way ticket to the moon, and they are not coming back.”
Opposition leaders have speculated about a possible split within AAP in Punjab and a reshuffle in the state government. In the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, AAP won 92 of the 117 seats, while the Congress secured 18 seats and the Shiromani Akali Dal won three.
Bajwa said, “The people of Punjab have also seen the real face of the so-called Kattar Imaandar party. Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann made lofty promises in Punjab to befool Punjabis and garner their votes in 2022.”
He further claimed, “Delhi’s results point towards the beginning of AAP’s end.”
Bajwa also suggested that Kejriwal may contest from Ludhiana, which is currently vacant, and join the Punjab government. Punjab BJP leader Subhash Sharma also claimed that Kejriwal might aim for the Chief Ministerial role in Punjab.
In the Delhi Assembly elections held on February 5, AAP secured 22 of the 70 seats, a sharp decline from its previous 67-seat majority.
Prominent AAP leaders, including Kejriwal, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, Awadh Ojha, and Somnath Bharti, were defeated. The only exception was Atishi, who managed to retain her seat.
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