In the aftermath of the results, former BJP MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh reportedly claimed that the AAP government in Punjab was on the verge of collapse.
Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann. (File Photo/ANI)
Two days after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suffered a stunning defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections, party chief Arvind Kejriwal convened a meeting on Tuesday with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP MLAs who had been campaigning across various constituencies.
The meeting comes amid intense speculation about an internal rift within the AAP following its electoral debacle. The party saw a drastic reduction in its tally, winning just 22 seats—down from 62 in 2020—while the BJP stormed back to power after 27 years, securing 48 seats.
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In the aftermath of the results, former BJP MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh reportedly claimed that the AAP government in Punjab was on the verge of collapse. He also suggested that both the AAP and Kejriwal were in serious trouble.
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While rumours of internal discord continue to circulate, AAP MP Malvinder Kang has dismissed such claims, asserting that the meeting at Kapurthala House was merely a routine gathering to collect feedback from party leaders.
“A party is a continuous process. Feedback from all units is taken to shape its future strategies. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, along with AAP MLAs, will meet Kejriwal to discuss the way forward,” Kang stated.
“It is an organisational meeting to prepare the next strategy,” he told a news agency without revealing further details.
Notably, following AAP’s defeat in Delhi, Punjab remains the only state where the party is in power. Losing it would deal a severe blow to AAP’s political future.
In the run-up to the Delhi elections, at least eight sitting AAP MLAs defected to the BJP. Earlier, Kailash Gahlot, a minister in Kejriwal’s cabinet, had also switched allegiance to the saffron party.
A day after polling in Delhi, AAP had accused the BJP of orchestrating an “Operation Lotus” to lure its leaders into defecting. While the BJP dismissed the allegations, the AAP claimed that its leaders were offered 15 crore to join the saffron outfit.
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