Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday trained his gun on former party colleague Raghav Chadha and other defectors, using both metaphor and pointed references to question their exit from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Speaking during a special session of the Punjab Assembly, where the government moved a Confidence Motion, Mann dismissed the impact of recent defections, saying, “When a broom is used to clean the dirt, a few bristles come out but it doesn’t affect the broom.”
The remark came days after seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs, including Chadha, switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), dealing a major blow to the party’s presence in the Upper House.
Confidence vote amid political churn
Moving the Confidence Motion in the 117-member Punjab Assembly on Friday, Mann asserted that AAP remained politically strong despite what he described as attempts to create an atmosphere of uncertainty.
“There are rumours that AAP will be finished and its MLAs would switch sides, and such rumours create an illusion in people's minds,” he said, adding that the party continues to expand its footprint across states, from Jammu and Kashmir to Goa.
AAP holds a dominant majority in Punjab with 94 MLAs, far ahead of its rivals.
{{/usCountry}}AAP holds a dominant majority in Punjab with 94 MLAs, far ahead of its rivals.
{{/usCountry}}Also read: High drama in Punjab assembly as Opposition demands ‘alcohol test’ on CM Bhagwant Mann
‘Kothi No. 50’ jibe resurfaces
Mann’s Assembly remarks follow earlier barbs aimed directly at Chadha, where he referenced “Kothi Number 50” - a government bungalow in Chandigarh that Chadha occupied during the early years of AAP’s Punjab tenure.
Without naming him initially, Mann had said a Rajya Sabha MP “feeling suffocated” in AAP had enjoyed the “fruits of power” while staying at the residence, widely seen as a dig at Chadha’s alleged influence in state affairs.
The bungalow, located in Sector 2 and part of the chief minister’s camp office quota, had been at the centre of political debate, with opposition leaders and even some within AAP previously describing Chadha as a “parallel centre of power.”
From key strategist to defector
Raghav Chadha, once considered a close aide of Arvind Kejriwal and a key strategist in AAP’s 2022 Punjab landslide victory, was among seven MPs who exited the party on April 24.
The group cited ideological differences, alleging that AAP had “strayed from its principles, values and core morals.”
Their merger with the BJP was later formally accepted by Rajya Sabha chairman CP Radhakrishnan, reducing AAP’s strength in the Upper House to just three members while boosting the BJP’s tally.
‘Traitors’ remark and internal criticism
In earlier comments, Mann had gone further, calling the defecting MPs “gaddar” (traitors), signalling a hardening stance by the party leadership.
The episode has also triggered introspection within AAP. Party MP Malvinder Singh Kang admitted that the leadership may have erred in giving Chadha significant influence. Another leader, Balbir Singh Seechewal, suggested that Chadha once held substantial sway over Punjab’s administrative machinery.
BJP welcomes defectors, AAP cries foul
The BJP, led nationally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, welcomed the incoming MPs, with Union minister Kiren Rijiju calling it a boost to the NDA and “nation building.”
AAP, however, has challenged the move, terming it “unconstitutional” and seeking disqualification of the defectors.
Political battle intensifies
With Punjab heading towards Assembly elections in early 2027, the fallout from the defections has intensified political rhetoric on all sides.
While Mann has sought to project stability through the Confidence Motion and downplay the exits, the BJP and opposition parties have framed the episode as evidence of internal fractures within AAP.