Punjab CM Mann to Meet President Over AAP MPs Defection
Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced on Wednesday that he will meet President Droupadi Murmu on May 5 regarding the defection of several Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha members to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Mann informed the media that he had secured an appointment with the President at 12 noon and plans to formally demand the “recall” of the state’s MPs who had switched loyalties.
This development follows the shocking defection of seven AAP MPs on April 24, which represents two-thirds of the party’s total strength of 10 in the Rajya Sabha. The move has significantly weakened the party’s parliamentary presence and posed a serious political challenge for the AAP leadership. The MPs who defected include Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Rajinder Gupta, Harbhajan Singh, Vikramjit Singh Sahney—all representing Punjab—and Swati Maliwal from Delhi. Mann plans to demand the recall of the six MPs elected from Punjab.
Mann clarified that he had requested the appointment along with a delegation of party MLAs, though he did not specify whether the MLAs would accompany him during the meeting. The Chief Minister emphasized that the purpose of the meeting was to address the political crisis caused by the defections and ensure that such shifts do not undermine democratic norms.
Within AAP circles, Mann’s planned meeting is being seen as a demonstration of strength and resolve, reflecting the party’s determination to protect its elected representatives and party interests. It is also viewed as a step to hold defecting MPs accountable under the anti-defection framework and related parliamentary rules.
