Blow to AAP as 2 Punjab MLAs quit party day after ticket snub

Punjab AAP MLAs Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra and Chetan Singh Jouramajra have resigned after missing the first ticket list. The twin exits underline party tensions, including Pathanmajra's dispute with the leadership.

In Short

• Pathanmajra represents Sanaur and sent his resignation directly to Arvind Kejriwal
• Jouramajra announced his decision publicly through a post on social media
• Party tensions had escalated before the two legislators chose to leave

Two Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs in Punjab, Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra from Sanaur and Chetan Singh Jouramajra from Samana, resigned from the party's primary membership on Sunday, November 1, in a setback for the ruling party ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

Pathanmajra sent his resignation letter to AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, announcing his decision to quit the party with immediate effect. Jouramajra, a former Punjab Cabinet Minister, announced his resignation through a social media post and addressed his resignation letter to Punjab AAP president Aman Arora.

The resignations came a day after the AAP released its first list of 40 candidates for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. The party, however, has not yet announced its candidates for either Sanaur or Samana, the constituencies represented by the two MLAs.

AAP'S SAMANA SEAT IN FOCUS

Jouramajra's resignation comes amid developments surrounding the party's preparations for the Samana constituency. In September, the AAP appointed former Punjab minister Surjit Singh Rakhra as the constituency in-charge.

Rakhra is being seen as a likely AAP candidate from Samana in the 2027 Assembly elections, although the party has not made any official announcement regarding its candidate for the seat.

PATHANMAJRA'S FRICTION WITH AAP LEADERSHIP

Pathanmajra had earlier raised questions over the functioning of his own government and adopted a confrontational stance towards the party leadership. His resignation comes against the backdrop of these tensions and the legal case against him.

A rape case was registered against the Sanaur MLA in September last year following a complaint by a woman from Zirakpur. She alleged that Pathanmajra misrepresented himself as a divorcee, entered into a relationship with her and later married her in 2021 despite already being married.

The Punjab Police arrested Pathanmajra from Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior in March this year, more than six months after he escaped police custody in connection with the case.

In May, the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted him regular bail in the rape case.

- Ends
(With PTI inputs)