Bhagwant Mann meets President, seeks disqualification of defecting Rajya Sabha MPs

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on 5 May met President Droupadi Murmu, urging her to cancel the membership of six Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab who recently quit the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Mann also proposed a constitutional “right to recall” provision that would allow voters to remove elected representatives before the end of their term if they fail to perform.

AAP setback triggers constitutional push

The meeting follows a major setback for AAP on 24 April, when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs — including Raghav Chadha, a Rajya Sabha MP, and Harbhajan Singh, a former India cricketer and MP, among others — resigned from the party and merged with the BJP, citing ideological differences. Six of those MPs were from Punjab.

Mann submitted a memorandum to the President, backed by signatures of party MLAs, arguing that the defections undermined the mandate of the people of Punjab.

‘Mockery of Constitution’

Describing the development as a “murder of the Constitution”, Mann questioned how the BJP — with only two MLAs in Punjab — now had six Rajya Sabha MPs from the state.

“How can this be possible? Isn’t it a mockery of the Constitution?” Mann said, adding that the MPs should have resigned and sought a fresh mandate.

“They were ‘selected’, not elected. Their membership should be cancelled,” he said.

Recall mechanism pitched

Mann reiterated the demand for a ‘Right to Recall’ mechanism, echoing earlier arguments made by Chadha before his exit from AAP.

The proposed framework would allow voters to initiate a legally defined process to remove elected representatives who fail to meet public expectations.

Attack on BJP, agencies

Mann accused the BJP-led Centre of misusing central agencies such as the CBI and ED, alleging that cases against leaders are dropped once they join the ruling party.

“In which washing machine did you wash him off?” Mann said, referring to a case involving a former AAP MP who later joined the BJP.

He alleged a pattern of intimidation followed by protection, claiming that individuals facing investigations are later granted security after switching sides.

No ‘protection’ in Punjab

Mann asserted that defecting MPs would not be shielded from legal action in Punjab.

“If any wrongdoing comes to light, there will be an FIR in Punjab. They do not have any protection just because they joined the BJP,” he said.

He also dismissed claims of BJP expansion in the state following its electoral gains elsewhere.

“Punjab is not a truck that someone else can simply drive,” Mann said.

President to examine plea

Mann said the President assured him that she would consult constitutional experts before responding to the demand.

The development marks a sharp escalation in the political confrontation between AAP and BJP following the high-profile defections, with both sides now seeking constitutional and legal remedies.