Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has criticized the Congress party for asserting that 32 of its MLAs were on the verge of defecting.
Mann directed his ire at Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa for these allegations and urged him instead to focus on unifying his party’s lawmakers. Bajwa had asserted that while 32 AAP MLAs were involved, Mann was allegedly communicating with the BJP.
“When (Arvind) Kejriwal chooses to dismiss him, he (Mann) will gather his belongings and join them (BJP),” Bajwa, Punjab’s Leader of the Opposition, had asserted.
Concluding a debate in the Assembly regarding a resolution opposing the Central government’s draft National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing on Tuesday, Mann ridiculed Bajwa for his “groundless claims” regarding AAP MLAs and labeled it a tactic to gain media attention.
“They are busy trying to connect with other MLAs yet are completely disconnected from their own,” the chief minister quipped, targeting Congress.
Congress Needs Reflection: Mann
Mann remarked that ever since he took office, there have been claims suggesting he wouldn’t last as chief minister for more than six months or a year. “Just a day after the Delhi assembly elections, they were at it again claiming I would be replaced,” the chief minister noted.
Mann also encouraged Congress to engage in self-reflection. “You achieved a zero for the third time in Delhi. It’s time to organize your party. There are four to five factions within Punjab Congress.”
The Punjab assembly, consisting of 117 members, includes 93 AAP MLAs, 16 Congress MLAs, and 2 BJP MLAs.
Attacking Bajwa further, the chief minister remarked that such politicians continuously make such absurd claims without addressing the concerns of Punjab. He accused previous Congress leaders of being “the most unapproachable, corrupt, and ineffective leaders, which led to their rejection by the public.
The AAP administration in Punjab has drawn attention especially after the party’s loss in the national capital earlier this month. Following AAP’s defeat in Delhi, the Punjab chief minister held a meeting in Delhi with AAP leaders. This gathering included former Delhi chief minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal, senior leader Manish Sisodia, all Punjab MLAs, and other key party officials.
“Mann stated that the people have seen the previous chief minister only intermittently, as the “epicurean monarch” was often occupied with personal matters or remained seated at his desk in the palace.
They are attempting to connect with other MLAs, but have lost touch with their own.
