Less than five days after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suffered a crushing defeat in the February 5 Delhi Assembly elections, party chief Arvind Kejriwal met Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and 91 AAP MLAs at a review meeting, amidst growing speculation of a rift within the party’s Punjab unit.ย
The meeting took place at the Kapurthala House, with top leaders including Manish Sisodia, the former Delhi Minister who lost his Jangpura seat to the BJP’s Tarvinder Singh Marwah, also in attendance. Punjab MPs who had campaigned for the Delhi elections also joined the discussions.
After the meeting, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann told reporters that Kejriwal and Sisodia had expressed their gratitude to the Punjab unit of AAP for its support during the Delhi elections.
#WATCH | Delhi: On AAP governemnt in Punjab, Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa says, “… The results were declared on February 8 and the movement has already started… Calling a meeting so soon shows that they will break soon… There will be mid-term polls in Punjab…โฆ pic.twitter.com/bMX2NPnUrJ
โ ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2025
Currently, Punjab remains the only state where AAP holds power. In the wake of the party’s crushing defeat in Delhi, AAP now faces the challenge of preparing for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
ย In the Delhi polls, AAP, which had ruled the capital since 2013, managed to retain only 22 out of 70 seats, while the BJP made a strong comeback, winning 48 seats and securing its return to power in the capital after 27 years.
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Also read:ย Kejriwal to meet Punjab CM, MLAs amid speculation of conflict
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During the meeting, AAP MP Malvinder Kang told the media that the purpose of the gathering was to collect feedback and formulate a strategy for the party’s future. “This is an organisational meeting to prepare the next strategy,” he said, though he refrained from providing more details.
#WATCH | Delhi | On AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal’s meeting with Punjab CM and MLAs, party MP Malvinder Singh Kang says, “Meetings are very normal for the functioning of a party. To improve the functioning of the party and to analyse the party’s performance in the currentโฆ pic.twitter.com/V9IRILB4Jt
โ ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2025
Kang added that AAP accepts the people’s mandate in Delhi, stating, “We did our best in the last 10 years to make Delhi better and give a good government. This fight will continue.”
Just one day before the Delhi election results were announced on February 9, Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa made headlines by claiming that Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann could potentially switch to the BJP.ย
Bajwa said that Mann was in contact with the Union Home Ministry and suggested that around 30 AAP MLAs from Punjab might be in touch with him, hinting at a possible exodus of party members.
Bajwa also speculated that Mann might soon make a move to the BJP, remarking, “Whenever this Maharashtra plane lands in Chandigarh, the first passenger who will become Eknath Shinde would be Bhagwant Mann.” The Congress leader was referring to the growing rift between Mann and Kejriwal.
Bajwa also alluded to the possibility of Kejriwal contesting a by-election in Ludhiana, which is currently vacant, and potentially joining the Punjab government.
In the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, AAP achieved a decisive victory, securing 92 out of the 117 seats, wresting control from the Congress, which won only 18 seats. The Shiromani Akali Dal had three MLAs.
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Also Read: Kejriwal attempting to replace Punjab CM Mann: BJP