Congress leaders attack the Aam Aadmi Party over MLA defections to the BJP, calling for stricter anti-defection laws while citing governance failures and corruption ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
Congress Criticises AAP Amid Political Shake-up in Punjab
Congress leaders on Monday criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) amid a political shake-up in Punjab, with rebel AAP leaders joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while calling for accountability over the state government’s performance and strengthening of the anti-defection law ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Congress MP Manish Tewari called for strengthening the anti-defection law, saying that the politics of ‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram’ causes significant damage to the country’s political system, amid reports of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Speaking to ANI, Tewari said that while joining another political party after resigning was an individual’s personal choice, elected representatives must remember the mandate they received from voters on a particular party’s ticket. “The politics of ‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram’ causes significant damage to the country’s political system. The anti-defection law needs to be strengthened considerably,” Tewari said.
Congress MP further said that elected representatives should remain mindful of the mandate given to them by voters before completing their terms. “If someone resigns and joins another party, that is their responsibility and may be their personal choice. However, before completing their term, they must remember that people elected them to the Assembly on the ticket of a particular party. In my view, this politics of ‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram’ is entirely inappropriate,” he added.
Criticism Over Governance and Leadership
Meanwhile, Punjab Congress Working President Raj Kumar Verka claimed that the AAP was witnessing an exodus of leaders and said the party’s situation in Punjab could deteriorate further. “I feel the Aam Aadmi Party’s ship is sinking, and people are jumping off and running away. Looking at the party’s current situation, things are going to get worse because the people of Punjab want to show them a mirror. They want to ask how the AAP government looted Punjab, pushed the state towards gangsterism and drove its people into drug addiction,” Verka told ANI.
Verka further claimed that the Congress had received indications that several AAP leaders were considering leaving the party. “We have received a list of 35 to 40 people who are likely to leave AAP. Many others are also contacting the Congress and expressing their desire to join us. But we already have candidates who can win elections, and we will not simply collect political rejects,” he said.
Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla alleged that the AAP government had failed to fulfil its promises, accusing it of corruption, deteriorating law and order and rising drug menace in Punjab. He said growing dissatisfaction among AAP MLAs could lead them to join other political parties. “The Aam Aadmi Party came into politics by making false promises and showing people an illusion. Now that the reality has come out, everyone has realised that a dream is just a dream, not the truth. That is why there are many more dissatisfied AAP MLAs, not just these three. They may join different parties depending on their political alignments… AAP has also been exposed over corruption. The law and order situation in Punjab is deteriorating, with killings taking place openly and the drug problem growing… Such a situation arises when the Chief Minister and Home Minister are weak. AAP has brought Punjab to this state, which is why even its own leaders and MLAs are dissatisfied with the party..,” he told ANI.
Developments Ahead of 2027 Assembly Elections
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. (ANI)
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