In a setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, two sitting MLAs, Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra of Sanaur and Chetan Singh Jouramajra of Samana, resigned from the party’s primary membership on Sunday, November 1, ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Pathanmajra sent his resignation letter to AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, announcing that he was leaving the party with immediate effect. Jouramajra, a former Punjab Cabinet Minister, announced his decision through a social media post and addressed his resignation letter to state AAP president Aman Arora.
The resignations came a day after AAP released its first list of 40 candidates for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. However, the party has not yet announced candidates for Sanaur or Samana, the constituencies represented by the two legislators.
SAMANA SEAT BECOMES A POINT OF CONTENTION
Jouramajra’s resignation comes amid developments surrounding AAP’s preparations for the Samana constituency.
In September, the party appointed former Punjab minister Surjit Singh Rakhra as the constituency in-charge. Rakhra is being viewed as a potential candidate for the Samana seat in the 2027 Assembly elections, although AAP has not officially declared its nominee.
The appointment has drawn attention in the wake of Jouramajra’s decision to leave the party.
PATHANMAJRA’S DIFFERENCES WITH AAP LEADERSHIP
Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra had previously questioned the functioning of his own government and adopted a confrontational position towards the party leadership.
His resignation comes amid these reported differences and an ongoing legal case.
A rape case was registered against the Sanaur MLA in September 2025 following a complaint by a woman from Zirakpur. The complainant alleged that Pathanmajra had misrepresented his marital status, entered into a relationship with her and subsequently married her in 2021 despite already being married.
Punjab Police arrested Pathanmajra from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh in March 2026, more than six months after he allegedly escaped police custody in connection with the case.
In May 2026, the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted him regular bail in the rape case.
The departure of the two legislators comes at a crucial stage of AAP’s preparations for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, with candidate selection and constituency-level organisation emerging as key issues ahead of the polls.