After Delhi setback, Arvind Kejriwal to meet Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, AAP MLAs today amid tension
Days after a massive loss in the Delhi assembly election, Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal is all set to meet Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, state ministers and part MLAs in Delhi on Tuesday.
The meeting comes in the backdrop of the speculation of intensified internal dissent in the party’s Punjab unit. AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang, however, downplayed the situation and said Tuesday’s meeting was a “routine strategy session”.
“A party is a continuous process. Feedback from all units are taken to shape its future strategies. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann along with AAP MLAs will meet Arvind Kejriwal to discuss the way forward,” he said.
The discussion at the meeting will focus on analysing the Delhi election results and preparing strategies for the Punjab assembly poll which are due in 2027.
AAP’s decade-long rule in the national capital was brought to an end by the Bharatiya Janata Party on February 8, the saffron party winning 48 seats in the 70-member assembly, while the Arvind Kejriwal-led party secured just 22 seats.
Notably, speculation is rife that dissatisfaction has brought dismay within the AAP’s Punjab unit, with some MLAs reportedly unhappy with the party’s leadership and possibly considering other options.
In the 2022 assembly election in Punjab, the AAP achieved a landslide victory by grabbing 92 of 117 seats. However, recent developments have led to questions being raised over internal rift. Some have even suggested that AAP’s leadership in Delhi still exerts major influence over Punjab’s governance.
There has also been speculation that Kejriwal is considering a more direct role in the Punjab politics circuit now, a report mentioned.
As Ludhiana’s assembly seat is currently vacant, there are also discussions ongoing about the possibility of Kejriwal contesting from there and becoming a part of the Punjab government.
In the Delhi election, Kejriwal was swept out by BJP’s Parvesh Verma from the New Delhi assembly constituency.
Some opposition leaders, have notably, predicting a similar “downfall” for the AAP in Punjab amid the recent defeat in Delhi.
Now, Punjab is the only state where the Arvind Kejriwal-led party is in power, increasing the significance of Tuesday’s meeting.
