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Chandigarh: Punjab’s political landscape witnessed a dramatic shift on Friday after seven Rajya Sabha MPs of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) crossed over to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), triggering a fresh phase of instability and intensifying speculation that the tremors may soon reach the state Assembly.
The MPs—Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, Swati Maliwal, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta and Vikramjit Singh Sawhney—announced a collective move to merge with the BJP, invoking provisions under the anti-defection framework that recognise a split backed by two-thirds of a legislative group as a merger rather than defection. The development has significantly weakened AAP’s presence in the Rajya Sabha while strengthening the BJP numerically and politically.
The move comes amid visible internal fault lines within AAP, with reports pointing to growing unease between senior leaders and the party leadership in recent months. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann reacted sharply, launching a direct attack on both the BJP and the defecting MPs. He accused the BJP of indulging in “ugly politics” and said the party had “betrayed Punjabis” through backdoor manoeuvres. Mann went further, calling the MPs “traitors.”
The Chief Minister’s response reflects the gravity of the crisis for AAP in Punjab, where the party had secured a sweeping mandate in 2022 and projected itself as a stable alternative to traditional political formations.
For the BJP, the development is being framed as a breakthrough moment in Punjab. State BJP chief Sunil Jakhar has projected the entry of the MPs as evidence of the party’s growing appeal and a sign that AAP leaders themselves are losing faith in their organisation. Jakhar has consistently targeted the AAP government over governance issues and political credibility, and the latest development provides the BJP with a narrative advantage ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. The party, which has struggled to expand independently in Punjab after its break with the Shiromani Akali Dal, now appears to be pursuing a strategy of gradual consolidation through highprofile inductions. The opposition in Punjab has used the episode to sharpen its attack on the Bhagwant Mann government.
The most significant political question now revolves around whether the developments will trigger a similar shift among AAP MLAs in Punjab. While there has been no confirmed defection in the Assembly so far, political circles are rife with speculation that the parliamentary move could have a cascading effect. AAP currently enjoys a comfortable majority in the Punjab Assembly, but the psychological impact of losing a large chunk of its Rajya Sabha representation could test internal cohesion. The BJP is expected to closely watch and possibly leverage any emerging cracks.
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