Aam Aadmi Party To Take Majority Test in Punjab Assembly: CM Bhagwant Mann

Earlier, the AAP government in Delhi had conducted a majority test in the Assembly to prove the loyalty of its MLAs.

After Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab will take a majority test to prove the support of all its MLAs for the party, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said.

(Photo: The Quint)

After Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab will take a majority test to prove the support of all its MLAs for the party on 22 September, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said.

The CM tweeted in Punjabi, "People's faith has no value in any currency of the world... On Thursday, 22 September, a special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha will be convened and this will be proved legally by submitting a vote of confidence... Long live the revolution!"

In the state Assembly polls, the AAP won by a staggering majority, grabbing 92 seats in the 117-member Assembly, while the Congress won 18 seats, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) bagged three seats, and the BJP won two seats.

AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on September 12, alleged that 10 MLAs of the ruling AAP government in Punjab had been approached by the BJP.

"Our 10 MLAs have been approached in Punjab by the BJP; they are buying MLAs and breaking governments," Kejriwal said, as per NDTV.

'BJP Offering Rs 25 Cr to Each MLA To Switch Sides': AAP

Punjab Minister Harpal Cheema had even claimed that the BJP was offering Rs 25 crore to each of the 10 MLAs to switch sides.

"The BJP is offering Rs 25 crore per MLA to switch sides. Operation Lotus may have succeeded in Karnataka, but the Delhi MLAs stayed firm and failed the BJP operation," the minister said, adding that a police complaint will be filed in this regard and "proof of phone calls" will be submitted to the Punjab Police chief.

The BJP, however, ridiculed the allegations, and said that the Punjab government was heading towards a split due to Kejriwal's "interference."

Earlier this month, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government also won the floor test in the Delhi Assembly amid a political slugfest in the national capital over the excise policy.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, before the floor test, said, "In the 3000 years of humankind's existence, the Aam Aadmi Party would have had the most cases against it."

"On 48 of our MLAs, there are 179 cases. We are a small party, we are just born. Out of these 179, 134 cases were thrown out, the courts said that there is nothing in these matters."