Three AAP Leaders Quit Party Ahead of Punjab Elections, Join BJP

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has suffered a political setback in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, with three of its leaders leaving the party within two days. The developments began after AAP announced its first list of 40 candidates for the upcoming elections. Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, the MLA from Sanaur, and Chetan Singh Jouramajra, the MLA from Samana, resigned from the party's primary membership. Soon afterwards, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who represents Amritsar North, submitted his resignation from the Punjab Legislative Assembly to the Speaker. A former IPS officer, Kunwar had joined AAP before the 2022 Assembly elections and won from Amritsar North.

Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh announced his decision on social media, thanking the people of Amritsar for their support and saying that he had achieved most of the goals he had set as an MLA. He also referred to issues such as drug abuse, corruption, law and order, civic infrastructure and the Bargari sacrilege case. The resignations triggered political speculation about growing differences within the party and dissatisfaction over its election preparations. The developments took another turn on November 2, when all three leaders joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi. Their exit has added a new dimension to Punjab's political contest ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, in which 117 constituencies will go to the polls.