Haryana CM offered BJP ticket from Sangrur, sought closed-door meeting: Punjab AAP MLA

Punjab Aam Aadmi Party MLA Narinder Kaur Bharaj on Thursday claimed that Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini offered her a BJP ticket from Sangrur seat to contest the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections and also offered a closed-door meeting.

Punjab Aam Aadmi Party MLA Narinder Kaur Bharaj on Thursday claimed that Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini offered her a BJP ticket from Sangrur seat to contest the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections and also offered a closed-door meeting. Meanwhile, Haryana CM media secretary Praveen Attrey junked Bharaj's allegation as baseless and stated that neither Saini met nor spoke to her. He said that it was the AAP's modus operandi to tell lies to divert the attention of the people from the real issues. Addressing media persons here, Bharaj, the MLA from Sangrur seat, claimed that under the BJP's ''Operation Lotus'', Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini tried to approach her and contacted her a few days ago. He gave a proposal for a closed- door meeting, she claimed. They (BJP) need candidates from all constituencies, she stated. He offered me a BJP ticket from the Sangrur seat to contest elections, she claimed. ''I was also offered that whatever demand I put forward will be fulfilled,'' she added. ''Through the media, I want to tell the Haryana CM that whatever she is today, she is because of the AAP and people of Punjab'', said the first-time MLA. This is not the first time that the AAP made an allegation while referring to ''Operation Lotus''. In 2022, the AAP had claimed that at least 10 of its MLAs were approached by the BJP with an offer of Rs 25 crore each in a bid to topple the six-month-old government under its ''Operation Lotus''. Haryana CM media secretary Attrey called the AAP's accusations ''diversionary tactics'' and said people of Punjab are now questioning the Bhagwant Mann government over its unfulfilled promises. ''People of Punjab have now started asking when it will give Rs 1,000 per month to women. Where is it? They came to power after making promises to the people which they failed to fulfil. The public is now questioning them,'' Attrey told PTI. Attrey said people of Punjab want the people-friendly schemes that are operational in BJP-ruled Haryana, to be implemented in their state as well. He was referring to the minimum support price on 24 crops and Rs 2,100 per month to women. ''That is why the people of Punjab invite Haryana CM Saini to events as they love him,'' said Attrey. And this is why the AAP is making ''concocted'' claims, he said. Referring to her association with the AAP, Bharaj said she was the first woman polling agent in Bharaj village at the age of 19 in 2014. She said at that time, she was impressed by AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann for their youth-oriented policies. ''After which I joined the party. I have been working as a dedicated worker since 2014'', she said. A daughter of a small farmer was given the ticket by the AAP when she was 27, she said, adding that people made her the Sangrur MLA in 2022. ''I want to tell Saini saab, he should not be under any misconception that we will fall prey to this kind of politics. We came into politics to change the system and committed ourselves to ensuring better health care and education for the people of Punjab'', she noted. ''I want to tell Saini that he should not worry whether I will contest the 2027 assembly elections or not, and from where and how I will contest. He should worry about Haryana,'' she said. Referring to Saini's frequent visits to poll-bound Punjab, she said the way Saini is roaming in the state these days, it appears that the BJP has sent him on deputation to Punjab. We are the dedicated workers of the AAP, she said. AAP general secretary and media in-charge Baltej Pannu alleged that the BJP is once again unsuccessfully trying to ''crush'' democracy in Punjab through 'Operation Lotus'. ''This is not the first time the BJP has tried to buy AAP MLAs, but they forget that Punjabis are known for their honour,'' he alleged. He added, ''Saini Sahib should keep his 'Haryana Model' where people are suffering under expensive electricity. Punjab follows the model of Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann, where facilities like free electricity exist, which are nowhere to be seen in your failed Haryana model.'' Pannu further said, ''Four years of the Punjab government are about to complete, yet the BJP's offers worth crores of rupees could not sway even a single MLA. AAP MLAs are sons and daughters of ordinary households, whom traditional parties used to mock by calling them 'material' or 'band-baaja walas'''. ''We warn the BJP to put this 'for sale' sign in some other state, because neither any of our MLAs nor any workers in Punjab is for sale,'' said Pannu ''The post of chief minister carries a certain dignity, which must be understood and upheld. Instead of hatching conspiracies to break other parties, Saini Sahib should learn from the AAP model how to serve people honestly,'' he said. ''Let it be clear that no matter how much the BJP increases its activities in Punjab, it should end this illusion that any MLA will be intimidated or broken. What could not happen in Delhi will never happen on the soil of Punjab,'' he added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)