Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: The Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on Friday moved a confidence motion in the Punjab assembly, days after a major setback in the Rajya Sabha where seven of its MPs, including Raghav Chadha, defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).Chief minister Bhagwant Mann tabled the motion during a special one-day session of the Punjab assembly, asserting that the party remained “strong” despite recent developments, news agency PTI reported.Addressing the House, Mann dismissed speculation about instability within the party. “There are rumours that AAP will be finished and its MLAs will switch sides. Such rumours create an illusion in people’s minds,” he said.Reiterating AAP’s national footprint, Mann said the party continues to have a presence across multiple states. “From Jammu and Kashmir to Goa, the party has a presence. We have an MLA in Doda, governments running successfully in Punjab, and representation in states like Gujarat and Goa,” he added.The ruling party had issued a whip to all its legislators to ensure full attendance during the session.In the 117-member Punjab assembly, AAP holds a commanding majority with 94 MLAs. The Congress has 16 members, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) three, the BJP two, the BSP one, and one Independent legislator.The confidence motion comes in the backdrop of a political setback for AAP on April 24, when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs, including Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Harbhajan Singh, resigned and joined the BJP, alleging that the party had deviated from its core principles and values. Six of the defecting MPs were from Punjab.
