"No one will remain in 'Jhaadu', Mann will lose": SAD chief Sukhbir Badal targets AAP ahead of 2027 polls

Launching a sharp attack on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday said that "no one will remain in 'Jhaadu'," following the exit of rebel party leaders, including MLAs Kunwar Vijay Pratap, Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra and Chetan Singh Jouramajra, amid political developments ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

Launching a sharp attack on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday said that "no one will remain in 'Jhaadu'," following the exit of rebel party leaders, including MLAs Kunwar Vijay Pratap, Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra and Chetan Singh Jouramajra, amid political developments ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Badal claimed that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann would face defeat in the 2027 Assembly elections, alleging widespread resentment against the ruling party among the public as well as its own legislators.

"No one will remain in 'Jhaadu'. Their own MLAs are unhappy. I can say Bhagwant Mann will lose (in the 2027 elections). The public hates them because they have looted a lot," Badal said. In a significant political development, the SAD chief also announced that the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Qadian faction) had pledged its support to the party for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.

"Harmeet Singh Qadian of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Qadian) has huge influence in Punjab. His leadership and district presidents have come. They have decided that they will support Shiromani Akali Dal in the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections," Badal said. Assuring the farm union of full support, the SAD chief promised that resolving agricultural distress would be his government's foremost priority.

"I want to assure them that on forming the government in Punjab, we will address all farmers-related issues as a priority," he added. The remarks come amid a political shake-up in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, with rebel AAP leaders Kunwar Vijay Pratap, Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra and Chetan Singh Jouramajra joining the BJP earlier today.

AAP had earlier suspended two MLAs, Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra and Chetan Singh Jouramajra, over alleged anti-party activities. Following their suspension, both leaders resigned from the party. AAP also stated that it would approach the Assembly Speaker seeking their disqualification from the legislative membership. Meanwhile, SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema also launched an attack on the ruling AAP, claiming that the party was losing the confidence of its elected representatives and that no MLA wanted to remain associated with it.

Reacting to the political developments ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, Cheema alleged that AAP leaders would find it difficult to face people in villages and answer questions about their silence over the alleged looting of Punjab. "No MLA wants to remain with the Aam Aadmi Party anymore. Everyone knows what is going to happen... Who will go from village to village and answer people about why they remained silent while Punjab was being looted? Just wait until the Model Code of Conduct comes into force," Cheema said.

He further claimed that AAP would lose the support of elected representatives at the grassroots level, including sarpanches, Zila Parishad members and Block Samiti members, once the Model Code of Conduct comes into force. "You will not see a single sarpanch, Zila Parishad member or Block Samiti member standing with them... just as MLAs were waiting for four-and-a-half years to pass so they would not be disqualified... Apart from blackmail, lies and misinformation, they have done no work in Punjab," he added.

Meanwhile, AAP leader Kunwar Vijay Pratap announced his resignation from the Punjab Legislative Assembly on Monday. He had earlier been suspended from the party on June 29, 2025. In an X post addressed to the people of Amritsar, Singh said he would remain indebted to them "until my last breath" for their love and respect.

He called for a collective effort to rise above "the politics of lanes and ribbon-cutting" and to bring Punjab, which he described as "trapped by drugs, extortion, gangsterism and corruption", back to being a progressive state. "Working together with you to formulate a forward strategy, I will aim to ensure clean politics and transparent administration," Singh said, adding, "My sole purpose is 'Punjab First. Apart from this, I will have no personal interests."

The political developments come as parties begin preparations for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. On Saturday, AAP announced its first list of 40 candidates for the upcoming polls, naming Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann from Dhuri, Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan from Kotkapura and Minister Sanjeev Arora, who is currently in jail, from Ludhiana West. The list also includes several other ministers, including Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal from Ajnala, Balkar Singh from Kartarpur, Jai Krishan Singh Rouri from Garhshankar, Kulwant Singh from S A S Nagar and Labh Singh Ugoke from Bhadaur. (ANI)