Congress leader and Punjab’s Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Partap Singh Bajwa, has claimed that more than 32 MLAs of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the state are in touch with him. Bajwa also claimed that many other MLAs and chief minister Bhagwant Mann are in touch with the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
“They (AAP MLAs) all know that this is their last term. They are looking for new parties to get tickets. I am in touch with them (32 MLAs). We will see who is to be brought in, who is likely to win the polls and who is not. It will happen at an appropriate time,” Bajwa said speaking to reporters outside the Punjab Assembly on February 25.
The AAP has 93 MLAs in the 117-member Punjab assembly, the Congress has 16 MLAs, and the BJP has 2 MLAs.
“Not only MLAs, but even ministers are in touch with me. Aman Arora is also aware of this matter,” the Congress leader said.
CM in touch with BJP?
Bajwa also claimed that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was in touch with the BJP. “When (Arvind) Kejriwal decides to remove him, he (Mann) will pack his bags and join them (BJP),” he claimed.
Hitting back at the Congress leader, the ruling AAP’s state unit president Aman Arora claimed that it was Bajwa who made an “advance booking” to join the BJP.
“Partap Bajwa has already secured his advance booking with the BJP. I urge Rahul Gandhi to question Bajwa what was he doing in Bengaluru recently and which senior BJP leaders he met there?” Arora asked dubbing his allegations against the AAP government baseless.
“Bajwa is spreading rumours and indulging in frivolous statements that hold no merit. The Congress leader doesn’t even know the whereabouts of his own MLAs. He lost Sandeep Jakhar to the BJP, and yet he talks about destabilizing our government. His claims are laughable and lack any factual basis.”
The AAP government in Punjab has been in focus ever since the party lost power in the national capital earlier this month. Soon after AAP’s defeat in Delhi, Punjab chief minister was in Delhi for a meeting of AAP leaders. The meeting was attended by former Delhi chief minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal, senior leader Manish Sisodia, all Punjab MLAs, and other key party functionaries.