AAP wins confidence motion in Punjab assembly days after RS setback; CM Bhagwant Mann slams rumours of split in party

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday won a confidence motion in the Punjab assembly, days after a Rajya Sabha setback when seven MPs, including Raghav Chadha, "merged" with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann slammed rumours of a split in the party.

During a special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann moved a confidence motion, asserting that the Aam Aadmi Party is strong and continuing to grow. He said in the House that rumours suggesting the party would collapse and that its MLAs might defect were misleading and created a false perception among the public.

“All speculations have been put to rest today regarding all those who were saying that 65 or 40 MLAs of AAP are going away,” Mann said, according to ANI.

"The party is strong. From Jammu and Kashmir to Goa, the party has a presence. In J&K's Doda, we have an MLA. Our government in Punjab is running successfully. In Delhi, we are in the opposition. We have five MLAs in Gujarat, two in Goa. Besides, AAP has its mayors, councillors, sarpanches at various places, the party has a national presence," PTI quoted the Punjab CM as saying.

The ruling party had earlier issued a whip directing all its legislators to attend the one-day session. In the 117-member Punjab Assembly, AAP holds a dominant majority with 94 MLAs, while the Congress has 16 members, the BSP one, the SAD three, the BJP two, and there is one Independent.

When Mann moved the confidence motion, most opposition members were absent from the House. Only Independent MLA Rana Inderpratap Singh was present, as the Congress staged a walkout and the BJP boycotted the session, while SAD MLAs and the lone BSP legislator were also missing.

Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, who seconded the motion, criticised the BJP-led central government over the defection of seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs. He also accused the BJP-led government of misusing central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation against its political opponents. Cheema further alleged that the BJP government was engaging in “gundagardi” (hooliganism).

MLA Manjit Singh Bilaspur said they would remain firmly loyal to the party and support it unwaveringly. "We are with the party and we will continue to remain in the party," said Bilaspur, MLA from the Nihal Singh Wala seat.

Minister Sanjeev Arora stated that in the past four years, the AAP government had delivered welfare initiatives for the public on a scale unmatched by previous governments over the last 70 years. He also highlighted the provision of free electricity for the domestic sector.

Kharar MLA Anmol Gagan Maan mentioned, "We will remain loyal soldiers of AAP till our last breath."

7 AAP RS MPs resign, join BJP

AAP, on 24 April, faced a major setback when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs—Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney and Swati Maliwal—resigned and joined the BJP, claiming the party had deviated from its founding principles, values, and ideals. Six of those who left were from Punjab.

Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan formally accepted their merger with the BJP on Monday, reducing the strength of Arvind Kejriwal's party in the Upper House to just three members.

(With inputs from PTI)