NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH — Three former Aam Aadmi Party MLAs resigned and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday, citing rising crime, drug abuse and gangsterism in poll-bound Punjab as their reason for leaving the ruling party.
Chetan Singh Jouramajra, who was elected from Samana and served as a cabinet minister; Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, representing Sanaur; and former Indian Police Service officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who won from Amritsar North, all tendered their resignations from AAP on Sunday. On Monday, they joined BJP in the presence of BJP national general secretary Satish Poonia and Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon.
The defections represent a setback for AAP ahead of the 2027 assembly polls. With the acceptance of resignations by Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, the seats for Amritsar North and Sanaur became vacant, and AAP's strength in the 117-member assembly decreased to 92 MLAs. The AAP chief whip had filed a petition seeking disqualification of Jouramajra under the anti-defection law; a notice was issued to him to respond.
The three leaders were critical of the AAP government's record. Jouramajra said the party had failed to deliver on promises to eradicate drugs within three to four months and improve healthcare and education, pointing to teacher vacancies and school closures. Pathanmajra expressed confidence that BJP could tackle Punjab's debt, drugs and gangsterism. Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh said for all practical purposes, AAP no longer exists in the state.
AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj criticized the BJP's welcome, saying the party had a "habit of collecting trash" and lacked sufficient candidates to field in the 2027 elections. Congress leaders suggested more AAP defections were likely, with one leader claiming 35 to 40 AAP MLAs may leave. However, Punjab cabinet minister Barinder Kumar Goyal dismissed such claims, saying similar assertions had been made repeatedly since the government was formed without result.
The political realignment underscores the volatility in Punjab ahead of the 2027 assembly elections, with AAP defending its record and BJP positioning itself as an alternative on law and order and drug control issues.
