3 Punjab AAP MLAs join BJP, allege Constitution under threat in state
Synopsis
Three sitting AAP MLAs from Punjab crossed the floor to the BJP on 2 November, publicly alleging that the Constitution is 'under threat' in Punjab and attacking the Bhagwant Mann government over drugs, gangsterism, and debt. With the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections on the horizon, the defections signal deepening cracks in AAP's Punjab unit — and a BJP intent on rebuilding its foothold in a state it lost convincingly in 2022.
Key Takeaways
Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh , Chetan Singh Jouramajra , and Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra — three Punjab AAP MLAs — joined the BJP on 2 November at the party's central office in New Delhi .
They were inducted in the presence of Punjab in-charge Satish Poonia and state unit President Kewal Singh Dhillon .
Vijay Pratap Singh alleged that 'a person whom the Supreme Court has identified as a criminal is effectively running Punjab today' and that 'if the Constitution is under threat anywhere, it is in Punjab.' Pathanmajra cited Amit Shah's pledge to eliminate Punjab's drug menace as a key reason for joining the BJP.
Jouramajra alleged Punjab's revenue had not grown in nearly five years , no major industries had been set up, and AAP MLAs were not free to question party decisions.
The defections come ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections , intensifying pressure on the Bhagwant Mann -led government.
Three rebel legislators from Punjab's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, Chetan Singh Jouramajra, and Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra — formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on 2 November at the party's central office in New Delhi, dealing a fresh blow to the Bhagwant Mann-led government in Punjab. The three were inducted in the presence of Punjab in-charge Satish Poonia and state unit President Kewal Singh Dhillon.
How the Induction Unfolded
The three former AAP legislators arrived at BJP headquarters in the national capital raising 'BJP Zindabad' slogans before the formal joining ceremony. Their entry into the BJP marks a significant defection from a party that won a sweeping majority in Punjab in 2022 and has since grappled with an internal rebellion among a section of its legislators.
Sharp Attack on the AAP Government
Addressing the media after joining, the trio launched a pointed attack on the Punjab government, raising concerns over governance, the drug menace, extortion rackets, and rising gangster activity in the state.
Vijay Pratap Singh alleged that extortion had grown into an 'organised industry' in Punjab, while drug abuse and gangsterism had reached alarming levels. He also claimed that the state's education system was deteriorating and its economy was buckling under mounting debt. Describing his time in AAP as an 'internship that had now come to an end,' he expressed confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.
'Today, nobody knows who the real Chief Minister of Punjab is — Bhagwant Mann or Arvind Kejriwal. The people of Punjab have a right to know where the person who misbehaved with Swati Maliwal is currently staying and in which office he is working. He is being protected within the Chief Minister's Office. After spending three days at another location, he is now staying at the PWD Guest House in Amritsar. A person whom the Supreme Court has identified as a criminal is effectively running Punjab today. If the Constitution is under threat anywhere, it is in Punjab. Therefore, we must save the state at any cost,' Singh said.
Drug Menace and the BJP's Promise
Pathanmajra focused on Punjab's drug crisis, invoking Union Home Minister Amit Shah's assurance that the menace would be eliminated once the BJP comes to power in the state. 'Amit Shah ji always fulfils the promises he makes. We are confident that he will deliver on his commitment to eliminate the drug menace. Punjab needs the BJP at this point. Only a BJP government can pull the state out of the growing debt crisis, drug abuse, and the threat posed by gangsters,' he said. He also drew a comparison with Uttar Pradesh, arguing that Punjab needed the same level of law-and-order that the BJP's 'double-engine' government had achieved there.
Jouramajra painted a stark picture of the drug crisis on the ground. 'If someone needs milk, they have to get out of their house to get it. But if someone wants chitta (heroin), all they need to do is make a phone call, and it is delivered right to their doorstep,' he said, adding that families across Punjab had been devastated by substance abuse, with some villages reportedly losing dozens of residents within a short period.
Governance Failures and Dissent Within AAP
Jouramajra also criticised what he described as the AAP government's failure to deliver on its electoral promises, particularly in education and industrial development. He alleged that Punjab's revenue had not grown over nearly five years, no major industries had been established, and several industrial hubs had declined. He further alleged that AAP MLAs were not free to question party decisions. 'We were given directions by the party, and all the MLAs simply followed them blindly, like sheep. That was how things were functioning,' he said, adding that the BJP's goal now was to free Punjab from gangsterism and form a government in the state.
What This Means for Punjab Politics
The defections come ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections and signal growing fissures within the AAP's Punjab unit. The BJP, which had been largely marginalised in the state since the AAP's landslide in 2022, is evidently seeking to rebuild its base by absorbing disgruntled AAP legislators. Whether these defections translate into electoral momentum for the party will be closely watched in the months ahead.
Point of View
By itself, a limited arithmetic blow to a party that holds a commanding majority in Punjab. The real damage is reputational — each press conference by a defector gives the BJP a platform to amplify allegations of drug syndication and governance failure that the AAP government has so far struggled to rebut convincingly. The reference to a Supreme Court-identified figure operating from within the Chief Minister's Office is a pointed and legally loaded claim that deserves independent scrutiny rather than partisan framing. Importantly, AAP itself once rode to power in Punjab on the back of defectors and disenchanted voters from rival parties; it is now on the receiving end of the same dynamic. With 2027 approaching, the BJP's calculation appears to be that it can accumulate credibility through absorbed insiders rather than rebuild its own grassroots — a strategy with mixed historical results in Punjab.
NationPress
2 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which AAP MLAs joined the BJP on 2 November?
Three Punjab AAP MLAs — Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, Chetan Singh Jouramajra, and Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra — formally joined the BJP at the party's central office in New Delhi on 2 November. They were inducted in the presence of Punjab in-charge Satish Poonia and state unit President Kewal Singh Dhillon.
Why did the three AAP MLAs leave the party and join the BJP?
The three legislators cited dissatisfaction with the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government over issues including the drug menace, extortion rackets, rising gangster activity, mounting state debt, and what they described as a lack of freedom to question party decisions. Vijay Pratap Singh also alleged that an individual identified as a criminal by the Supreme Court was effectively running Punjab from within the Chief Minister's Office.
What did Vijay Pratap Singh mean when he said the Constitution is under threat in Punjab?
Singh alleged that a person whom the Supreme Court has identified as a criminal is operating from within the Punjab Chief Minister's Office and effectively governing the state, which he argued constituted a constitutional threat. He called on citizens to 'save the state at any cost.' These are his stated allegations and have not been independently verified.
What did the rebel MLAs say about Punjab's drug problem?
Both Pathanmajra and Jouramajra highlighted the severity of Punjab's drug crisis. Jouramajra alleged that heroin (chitta) is delivered to homes on a phone call while basic necessities require people to leave their homes, and that some villages had reportedly lost dozens of residents to drug abuse in short periods. Pathanmajra cited Home Minister Amit Shah's pledge to eliminate the drug menace as a reason for joining the BJP.
What impact could these defections have on Punjab politics ahead of 2027?
The defections deal a reputational blow to AAP in Punjab, even though the party retains a comfortable majority in the Assembly. The BJP is seeking to rebuild its foothold in the state ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections by absorbing disgruntled AAP legislators. Whether the move translates into electoral support for the BJP will depend on how effectively the party activates its new members and counters AAP's narrative on the ground.
