In another shock for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the February 2027 Assembly elections in Punjab, CM Bhagwant Mann's cousin, Gyan Singh Mann, on Monday moved over to the BJP.
The AAP strategist, best known for his involvement in the party's rise in Punjab, joined the BJP in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar.
#WATCH | Chandigarh: Gyan Singh Mann, cousin of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, joins the BJP in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar. pic.twitter.com/ySLTtb9bvV
— ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2026
This comes at a bad time for the party, which is already reeling after seven of its Rajya Sabha MPs left for the saffron party last month.
The seven MPs—led by former AAP Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, Raghav Chadha, his supposed replacement Ashok Mittal, and professor-turned-politician Sandeep Pathak—left for the BJP alleging a "toxic work environment", and that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party had lost its identity along the way.
Who is Gyan Singh Mann?
The AAP strategist, who hails from the CM's ancestral village of Satauj in the Sangrur district, had been a key strategist for the party, playing a major role in orchestrating its rise to power across the state.
Beginning his political career during the 2012 Punjab Assembly elections, Gyan Singh became actively involved in supporting the AAP since its inception in 2013.
He mainly managed the party's—and more importantly, Bhagwant Mann's—campaigns and became an important link in the party's top brass in Punjab.
He then rose to the post of in-charge at the Sangrur MP office, and by 2022, had graduated to the officer in-charge of Bhagwant Mann's constituency Dhuri amid the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, managing campaign and organisational work.
His entry into the BJP comes on the back of a shift in tone against the AAP for the past year, becoming a vocal critic of the party's land policies, alleged failure to uphold poll promises, and its style of governance.
His entry into the BJP is expected to become a major strategic gain for the party ahead of the 2027 polls, as his strong political experience and grassroots links—especially in the Malwa region, an AAP bastion—can help the saffron party make inroads into the state.
