MLA Bharaj said she asked for time to think but made it clear she would not leave AAP. She said she began her political journey with the party as a young volunteer and is committed to staying with it.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday accused Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini of trying to make one of its Punjab MLAs leave the party and join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
At a press conference, AAP media in-charge Baltej Pannu and Sangrur MLA Narinder Kaur Bharaj said the BJP is trying to weaken opposition parties by approaching their lawmakers. They referred to this as part of what is known in political discussions as “Operation Lotus.”
Narinder Kaur Bharaj, who was elected as MLA at age 27 and is the youngest member of the Punjab assembly, said she was personally contacted by Chief Minister Saini. She claimed, she was invited to a meeting where he offered her a BJP ticket to contest the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections from Sangrur. She said he also asked if she had any other demands and said BJP would fulfil them.
Bharaj said she asked for time to think but made it clear she would not leave AAP. She said she began her political journey with the party as a young volunteer and is committed to staying with it.
Baltej Pannu also claimed this was not the first attempt. He said the BJP had tried earlier to attract AAP MLAs with offers of money and other benefits, although he did not give details. He added that AAP MLAs are united and would not be swayed.
Reacting to the allegations, Parveen Attrey, media secretary to Haryana CM Saini, called the claims “completely baseless.” He said no such meeting took place between the Chief Minister and Bharaj and described the accusations as a political tactic to distract from unfulfilled promises by AAP.
The exchange has increased political tensions between AAP and BJP in Punjab and Haryana ahead of the upcoming elections.
