3 rebel Punjab AAP leaders join BJP
What's the story
Rebel Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra and Chetan Singh Jouramajra have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party at its headquarters in Delhi. Suspended AAP MLA and former IPS officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh also resigned as a legislator earlier on Monday and joined the saffron party hours later. This development comes after Pathanmajra and Jouramajra resigned from AAP's primary membership on Sunday, citing dissatisfaction with the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government's handling of issues.
Twitter Post
Rebel AAP leaders join BJP
#WATCH | Delhi: Rebel AAP leaders Kunwar Vijay Pratap, Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, and Chetan Singh Jouramajra join the BJP. pic.twitter.com/10SrU5hMbg
— ANI (@ANI) November 2, 2026
Election strategy
AAP approaches Speaker for disqualification of MLAs
The resignations came shortly after the AAP announced its first list of 40 candidates for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
However, neither Sanaur nor Samana, the constituencies represented by Pathanmajra and Jouramajra, were included in the list.
The AAP has decided to approach the Punjab Assembly Speaker to seek disqualification of both MLAs' legislative membership, alleging anti-party activities.
Party allegations
BJP's expected induction of rebel leaders draws criticism from AAP
The BJP's expected induction of the two leaders has drawn criticism from AAP leadership.
Punjab AAP president Aman Arora accused the BJP of trying to induct leaders who had left or were expelled from other parties.
AAP chief spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal also called the BJP a "kabaad di dukaan" (scrap shop), accusing it of collecting rejected political faces.
Future prospects
Pathanmajra to contest 2027 assembly elections from Sanaur
Meanwhile, Pathanmajra expressed hope that a BJP government would lead to development in Punjab and address issues like state debt and farmers' concerns.
He also announced his intention to contest the 2027 assembly elections from Sanaur.
The exits have highlighted rifts within the Punjab AAP unit over constituency-level appointments and electoral strategy.
Leadership conflict
Pathanmajra's fallout with AAP leadership
Pathanmajra's relationship with AAP leadership soured after he publicly criticized the state government's handling of floods in his constituency.
His differences with the party were further compounded by his implication in a rape case.
He had escaped during a police operation to arrest him and was subsequently arrested in Gwalior.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court later granted him bail.
Cabinet reshuffle
Jouramajra's resignation amid Samana seat speculation
Jouramajra's resignation comes amid speculation that Rakhra could be fielded as a candidate for the Samana assembly seat in 2027.
He was dropped from the cabinet in September 2024 during a reshuffle.
After resigning from AAP, both leaders slammed Delhi-based leaders like Arvind Kejriwal and Bibhav Kumar for interfering in Punjab's governance and criticized corruption, rising crime rates, extortion, and gang violence among other issues.