Punjab Political Row Escalates: CM Bhagwant Mann to Meet President Over AAP MPs’ Defection

Chandigarh– Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is set to meet President Droupadi Murmu on May 5 following a major political setback for the Aam Aadmi Party, after several of its Rajya Sabha members switched allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The development comes after seven AAP MPs, including prominent leaders like Raghav Chadha, moved to the BJP, significantly impacting the party’s strength in the Upper House.

Mann said the President has agreed to meet him at 12 noon on Tuesday, where he plans to formally raise the issue and demand the “recall” of the defecting MPs. He is also expected to present his case along with a delegation of party legislators.

However, legal experts have pointed out that there is no provision in the Indian Constitution allowing the recall of elected representatives. Former Punjab advocate general Ashok Aggarwal noted that such a mechanism does not exist under any constitutional framework.

Despite the legal limitations, the move is being viewed within party circles as an attempt by the AAP to demonstrate political resolve after the high-profile defections.

Opposition parties have criticised the move, calling it symbolic rather than substantive. Leaders from the Shiromani Akali Dal argued that any action against Members of Parliament falls under the jurisdiction of Parliament as per anti-defection laws, not the President.

The political development has intensified tensions in Punjab’s political landscape, with the fallout of the defections expected to have wider implications in the run-up to future elections.