Chetan Singh Jouramajra (right) and Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra (left) quit amid ticket uncertainty, with both legislators having had differences with the party leadership.
AAP faces twin exits a day after releasing first candidates list for Punjab polls
Exits follow appointment of new constituency in-charges in Samana and Sanour, fuelling speculation that the sitting MLAs could lose their tickets
Two Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs from Punjab’s Patiala district - Chetan Singh Jouramajra of Samana and Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra of Sanour - resigned from the party on Sunday (November 1).
The resignations came a day after the AAP released its first list of 40 candidates for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. Neither Jouramajra nor Pathanmajra featured in the list. The party is yet to announce its candidates for Samana and Sanour.
Also read: Punjab elections 2027: AAP announces first list of 40 candidates, fields Mann from Dhuri
While Pathanmajra sent his resignation letter to AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, Jouramajra announced his decision through a social media post.
Ticket uncertainties
The exits come amid indications that both legislators could be denied tickets for the upcoming Assembly polls, following the party’s appointment of new constituency in-charges in their respective constituencies.
In September, the AAP appointed former Punjab minister and senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Surjit Singh Rakhra as the constituency in-charge for Samana. Rakhra is being seen as a potential candidate from the seat, although the party has not made an official announcement. In Sanour, the party has appointed Ranjodh Hadana as the new constituency in-charge.
Clashes with leadership
Jouramajra, a former minister in the Bhagwant Mann-led government, was dropped from the Cabinet during an earlier reshuffle. His resignation comes amid growing discontent following the appointment of Rakhra in Samana.
Also read: Sukhbir Singh Badal open to alliances, rules out tie-up with AAP and Congress
Pathanmajra, meanwhile, had previously questioned the functioning of his own government and clashed with the party leadership over its handling of issues, including flood management.
Rape case allegations
He has also been embroiled in a criminal case. A Zirakpur-based woman filed a complaint against him last year, accusing him of rape, cheating and criminal intimidation. She alleged that he had misrepresented himself as a divorcee, entered into a relationship with her and married her in 2021 despite being already married.
Pathanmajra was arrested by the Punjab Police in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, in March this year, more than six months after he allegedly escaped police custody. The Punjab and Haryana High Court granted him regular bail in May in the rape case registered against him in September last year.
Twin exits
Reacting to the resignations, Punjab Cabinet Minister Aman Arora said the two MLAs were not aligned with the party and had chosen to leave on their own.
The twin exits come as the AAP begins preparations for the 2027 Assembly elections, with the party's candidate selection process already triggering discontent among some sitting legislators.
(With agency inputs)