Chandigarh, Apr 24 (PTI) Seven Rajya Sabha MPs, including six from Punjab, quitting the AAP on Friday has come as a big setback for the ruling party ahead of the 2027 state Assembly polls, with its rivals claiming that the development signals "a complete disconnect between the leadership and the cadre".
Rajya Sabha MPs Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak announced in Delhi that they were quitting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), along with five other parliamentarians -- Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Swati Maliwal, Rajinder Gupta and Vikram Sawhney. Chadha also said that all seven have merged with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The setback to the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit comes at a time when the AAP is gearing up for next year's Punjab Assembly polls, aiming to retain power in the state.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has been highlighting his government's initiatives, including giving 300 units of free electricity to domestic consumers, 65,000 government jobs, cashless medical insurance of up to Rs 10 lakh for each family, eight hours of electricity supply to the farm sector and an increased utilisation of canal water for irrigation.
The party is also highlighting its governance in Punjab in other poll-bound states in a bid to woo voters.
At the same time, Mann has been attacking the opposition parties for "having failed to do anything" for the state and always "keeping their personal interests ahead of Punjab".
Friday's development, however, will give enough ammunition to the opposition in Punjab to target the Mann government.
The AAP stormed to power in the state by winning 92 of the 117 Assembly seats in 2022. Subsequently, its strength rose to 94 MLAs following victories in bypolls.
The Congress has 16 MLAs, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) three, the BJP two and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) one, while one seat is held by an Independent legislator.
Of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the AAP has three, the Congress seven and the SAD one, besides two Independents.
Mann dubbed those who quit the party on Friday and announced joining hands with the BJP "gaddars" (traitors).
The chief minister accused the BJP of trying to break the AAP and "betraying the people of Punjab".
Opposition parties slammed the AAP over the latest development and claimed that the exit of the seven Rajya Sabha MPs has exposed "a deep-rooted crisis" within the political structure and leadership of the Kejriwal-led party.
"When a party's own MPs abandon it in such numbers, it signals a complete disconnect between the leadership and the cadre," SAD leader and former Punjab minister Daljit Singh Cheema said.
Asked whether the development would have any impact on the 2027 Assembly polls, Mann ruled out any such possibility and said those who have quit the party are Rajya Sabha members.
"They are not mass leaders. A mass leader is a person whom people love. Even a sarpanch has a vote bank. Do they have any vote bank here? How would they go to people after betraying them?" he asked.
Mann said the AAP is united and its prospects will not be affected by some people leaving it.
"From day one, the BJP has been hell-bent on damaging the AAP because of our pro-Punjab and pro-people stance. Operation Lotus was launched to buy our members. The BJP, which has no base in Punjab, has brought its washing machine here to give a clean chit to tainted leaders," he said.
The chief minister also lashed out at the saffron party for allegedly misusing central agencies against its political rivals.
"Come and raid my residence," he told Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials.