Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], November 2 (ANI): Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Daljit Singh Cheema on Monday criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after three rebel party leaders, including MLAs Kunwar Vijay Pratap, Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra and Chetan Singh Jouramajra, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying that no MLA wants to remain with the ruling party anymore.
Reacting to the political developments ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, Cheema alleged that AAP leaders would find it difficult to face people in villages and answer questions about their silence over the alleged looting of Punjab.
"No MLA wants to remain with the Aam Aadmi Party anymore. Everyone knows what is going to happen... Who will go from village to village and answer people about why they remained silent while Punjab was being looted? Just wait until the Model Code of Conduct comes into force," Cheema said.
He further claimed that AAP would lose the support of elected representatives at the grassroots level, including sarpanches, Zila Parishad members and Block Samiti members, once the Model Code of Conduct comes into force.
"You will not see a single sarpanch, Zila Parishad member or Block Samiti member standing with them... just as MLAs were waiting for four-and-a-half years to pass so they would not be disqualified... Apart from blackmail, lies and misinformation, they have done no work in Punjab," he added.
The remarks come amid a political shake-up in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, with rebel AAP leaders Kunwar Vijay Pratap, Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra and Chetan Singh Jouramajra joining the BJP earlier today.
AAP had suspended two MLAs, Pathanmajra and Jouramajra, for alleged anti-party activities earlier. Following their suspension, both leaders resigned from the party. AAP stated it would petition the Assembly Speaker to disqualify their legislative membership.
Meanwhile, Kunwar Vijay Pratap announced his resignation from the Punjab Legislative Assembly on Monday. He was suspended from AAP on June 29, 2025.
In an X post addressed to the people of Amritsar, Singh said he would remain indebted to them "until my last breath" for their love and respect.
He called for a collective effort to rise above "the politics of lanes and ribbon-cutting" and to bring Punjab, which he described as "trapped by drugs, extortion, gangsterism and corruption", back to being a progressive state.
"Working together with you to formulate a forward strategy, I will aim to ensure clean politics and transparent administration," Singh said, adding, "My sole purpose is 'Punjab First. Apart from this, I will have no personal interests."
This comes amid preparation for the 2027 Assembly Elections as AAP on Saturday announced its first list of 40 candidates, naming Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann from Dhuri, Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan from Kotkapura and Minister Sanjeev Arora, who is currently in jail, from Ludhiana West.
The list also includes several other ministers, including Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal from Ajnala, Balkar Singh from Kartarpur, Jai Krishan Singh Rouri from Garhshankar, Kulwant Singh from S A S Nagar, and Labh Singh Ugoke from Bhadaur. (ANI)
“No MLA wants to remain with them”: SAD's Daljit Cheema takes dig at AAP after rebel leaders join BJP
