📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Satdeep Gill
Politics
Three Punjab AAP MLAs defect to BJP, bolstering party’s foothold in state
✍️ OrissaPOST
🗓 02 Nov 2026, 05:36 PM
👁 20
Three AAP legislators from Punjab have resigned from the party and formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, signaling a shift in the state’s political dynamics.
Three legislators of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from Punjab announced their resignation from the party and were sworn in as members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday. The three MLAs, who had been identified as rebels after dissenting with the AAP leadership, submitted their resignation letters to the Punjab Legislative Assembly and subsequently took oath as BJP members in a ceremony attended by senior party officials.
The defectors had earlier been suspended from AAP for openly criticizing the party’s state strategy and for aligning with opposition viewpoints. Their departure reduces the AAP’s strength in the Punjab assembly and adds to the BJP’s numbers, which the ruling party sees as a strategic gain ahead of upcoming local elections.
Political analysts note that the move underscores the volatility within AAP’s Punjab unit and may influence voter sentiment in the region. The BJP, meanwhile, has welcomed the newcomers, highlighting the shift as evidence of growing support for its policies in the state.
The defectors had earlier been suspended from AAP for openly criticizing the party’s state strategy and for aligning with opposition viewpoints. Their departure reduces the AAP’s strength in the Punjab assembly and adds to the BJP’s numbers, which the ruling party sees as a strategic gain ahead of upcoming local elections.
Political analysts note that the move underscores the volatility within AAP’s Punjab unit and may influence voter sentiment in the region. The BJP, meanwhile, has welcomed the newcomers, highlighting the shift as evidence of growing support for its policies in the state.