Bhagwant Mann's cousin Gyan Singh Mann joins BJP in Chandigarh
Gyan Singh Mann, cousin of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Chandigarh on Monday, 11 May, in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar. The induction is a symbolic blow to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has governed Punjab since 2022 under Bhagwant Mann's leadership.
Who Joined the BJP
Alongside Gyan Singh Mann, Barnala-based businessman and NRI Baljinder Singh Barnala also joined the party. So did Manjinder Singh Sajan Khera, a former personal assistant to Jalalabad MLA Goldy Kamboj and a former AAP functionary from Arniwala Johl. The joint induction was formalised at a press conference addressed by CM Saini and Jakhar.
What the BJP Said
Welcoming the new entrants, Saini and Jakhar said the leaders had originally joined AAP with hopes of change but left after seeing those aspirations go unfulfilled. Jakhar specifically stated that the defections demonstrated growing disillusionment within AAP's own ranks.
Jakhar also condemned what he described as attacks on BJP offices and workers in cities including Amritsar, Batala, Tarn Taran, and Ludhiana, warning that
