CHANDIGARH: After a humiliating defeat in the Delhi assembly elections, the Punjab unit of AAP is likely to face an internal bickering and a potential split, Congress leader and LoP Partap Singh Bajwa said on Sunday.
The veteran Congress leader mentioned that over 30 AAP MLAs have been in contact with his party for nearly a year, ready to switch sides.
“A leadership battle is now imminent, as the party leadership in the capital may want to replace Mann, especially since all the MLAs and the cadre in the state are aligned with party’s national convener Arivnd Kejriwal. A by-election is due in Ludhiana (West) assembly constituency. Kejriwal may be eyeing this seat to join the state assembly,” he claimed.
Leading political analyst Kuldip Singh said, “Both Congress and BJP will want AAP to split in Punjab as they regard it as a major rival in the 2027 assembly elections. If Kejriwal decides to contest from Ludhiana (West), it could be damaging for the party and may signify end of his national ambitions.”
Rejecting the claims, Punjab AAP spokesperson Neel Garg asserted, “Kejriwal is our national convener and Mann is Punjab CM. The graph of the Congress is going down at a rapid pace. In Delhi, it scored a naught for third time in a row. In 2022 Punjab elections, it had only 18 MLAs, which will reduce further in the 2027 polls. Just look at the recent municipal elections in the state — what was Congress’s performance?”
“Bajwa should be concerned about Congress not winning even a single seat in Delhi,” Garg added.