AAP vs Congress: Punjab showdown over ‘30 MLAs in touch’ claim
AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang fired back at Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday. Bajwa had claimed that over 30 AAP MLAs were in touch with Congress and ready to defect. This came after AAP’s loss in the Delhi Assembly elections, which Bajwa linked to an impending power struggle between Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal.
Kang, who represents Anandpur Sahib and is AAP’s chief spokesperson in Punjab, quickly dismissed Bajwa’s statement. He pointed out that Bajwa’s own party was facing its own internal issues. “Are all Congress MLAs in touch with you?” Kang asked. “If they are, why is Sandeep Jakhar suspended? And why did Raj Kumar Chabbewal leave the party?” Chabbewal, who switched to AAP last year, had been a prominent Congress MLA.
Kang also reminded Bajwa of his brother Fatehjang Bajwa, who joined the BJP despite his efforts to stop him. He criticized Congress for losing key members and wondered why Bajwa was concerned about AAP MLAs. “Congress leaders, MLAs, and former legislators are leaving the party,” Kang said. “Yet Bajwa focuses on AAP.”
Kang didn’t hold back when calling out Bajwa for making “baseless statements.” He pointed out that Congress’s claims often turned out to be false. The Congress party, despite winning no seats in Delhi, was celebrating the BJP’s victory, he added.
Kang also addressed the recent meeting between Kejriwal, Mann, and AAP MLAs in Delhi. He clarified that the meeting was organizational, as Kejriwal is the national convenor of AAP. “Such meetings are a regular part of any party’s internal processes,” he stated.
The ongoing back-and-forth highlights the tension between AAP and Congress in Punjab, where both parties jostle for political control. While Bajwa continues to claim that AAP’s internal conflicts will lead to defections, Kang firmly rejected the idea. Instead, he pointed to Congress’s own struggles and internal divisions. As both parties engage in verbal sparring, the real test will be how Punjab voters respond in the future.
