The Leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha Partap Singh Bajwa, minutes before the start of the first day of the two-day special session on Monday, created a flutter by claiming that 32 MLAs of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are in touch with the Congress. Rubbishing the claims, Cabinet Minister and AAP’s state unit president Aman Arora hit back asserting that Bajwa has already “secured his advance booking†with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Bajwa, addressing the media before the session, claimed that AAP legislators were actively reaching out to Congress and waiting for the right time to switch sides. Comparing the situation to Maharashtra’s Eknath Shinde rebellion, which toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena Government, he asserted that Punjab would witness a similar political upheaval soon.
“Like fans booking tickets in advance for Diljit Dosanjh’s concerts, AAP MLAs are booking their places in Congress. It is just a matter of time before the government collapses,†said Bajwa. He further alleged that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was in secret talks with the BJP and that Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu was acting as a mediator between the two.
“Bittu is the bridge between CM Mann and BJP leaders in Delhi. He is enacting a drama by protesting outside Mann’s residence, but the reality is that he is facilitating meetings between the Chief Minister and top BJP leadership. When Arvind Kejriwal tries to remove Mann, he will jump ship,†Bajwa alleged.
He also accused the AAP government of failing on multiple fronts and said the people of Punjab had already lost faith in their leadership.
Arora’s Counterattack: ‘Bajwa Has Booked His Own Ticket with BJP’
Responding to Bajwa’s claims, AAP Punjab chief Arora launched a counterattack, alleging that it was Bajwa who was preparing to join the BJP. Arora claimed that the Congress leader had recently visited Bengaluru, where he held secret meetings with senior BJP leaders.
“Pratap Bajwa’s transition to BJP is almost complete. His advance booking is done. Rahul Gandhi should ask him what he was doing in Bengaluru and which BJP leaders he met,†said Arora.
Accusing Bajwa of hypocrisy, Arora said that while the Congress leader was busy speculating about AAP defections, his own party was crumbling. “Bajwa couldn’t even stop Sandeep Jakhar from joining the BJP. The Congress party is in disarray, and Bajwa’s own ship is sinking. Instead of saving his own party, he is spreading rumours about our MLAs,†he added.
Arora dismissed Bajwa’s claim that 32 AAP MLAs were in contact with Congress, calling it “laughable and baselessâ€. “Even if we assume that 32 MLAs left, we would still have 62 — enough for a majority. Meanwhile, Congress has just 15 MLAs. Even if Bajwa’s fantasy were true, Congress still wouldn’t be able to form a government. This shows his desperation,†Arora remarked.
AAP spokesperson Neel Garg also joined the attack, claiming that Bajwa had already finalized his BJP deal. “Bajwa has climbed 12 steps, and only the final door remains to be opened. We have solid information that he met BJP leaders in Bengaluru to finalize his entry,†said Garg.
