Why AAP MLAs Pathanmajra, Jouramajra quit day after party released first list of candidates |Punjab politics decode
Following the resignations of Chetan Singh Jouramajra and Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, speculations rife over their political future.
PTC News Desk: With the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections approaching, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is facing criticism from opposition parties over law and order in the state. The party is now also dealing with signs of internal dissent. On Sunday, two AAP MLAs resigned, indicating that they were unhappy with the party and its policies.
Following the resignations of Chetan Singh Jouramajra and Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, speculations rife over their political future.
Future beyond AAP
Neither MLA has publicly explained the reason for his resignation. However, political observers believe that Jouramajra and Pathanmajra may join the BJP.
Speculation has also been linked to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s late-night arrival in Chandigarh. Observers believe the two MLAs could join the BJP at its office in the city.
AAP has also responded to the resignations, saying that the party had already sidelined both MLAs because of their conduct. The party claimed they would now join the BJP, which, it said, was struggling to find candidates in Punjab and was mainly attracting people expelled from other parties.
The conflict between Pathanmajra and the state government became public in September 2025, when he questioned the government and senior party leaders over the floods and the cleaning of rivers and drains in his constituency. The withdrawal of his security and the transfer of police officers in his constituency also became matters of discussion.
Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra: Rape and illegal mining cases
In September 2025, Patiala’s Civil Lines police station registered a case against Pathanmajra based on a complaint by a woman described as his former wife. The case involved allegations of rape, cheating and criminal intimidation. The woman alleged that he had entered into a relationship with her and married her after claiming to be divorced, although he was already married.
After the case was registered, Pathanmajra remained outside police custody for several months. A court later declared him an absconder. He reportedly went to Australia for a short period before Punjab Police arrested him near Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, in March 2026, during a multi-state operation. In May 2026, the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted him regular bail.
A separate illegal-mining case was also registered against him in Patiala in September 2025. He later received bail in that case.
Chetan Singh Jouramajra: Controversy that cost him the Health Ministry
On July 29, 2022, while serving as Health Minister, Jouramajra made a surprise visit to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital in Faridkot. He was reportedly upset after seeing dirty and torn mattresses on beds in the dermatology ward.
The then vice-chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Dr Raj Bahadur, was also present. Jouramajra reprimanded him in front of others and asked him to lie on one of the dirty mattresses. A video of the incident went viral and sparked nationwide criticism. The controversy eventually led to Jouramajra being removed as Health Minister.
In April 2025, Jouramajra attended an event at a government school in his Samana constituency. He publicly reprimanded the principal and teachers over the school’s arrangements, questioned their work and reportedly threatened transfers and suspensions.
Teacher organisations protested and announced plans to burn effigies of the MLA. After the protests grew, Jouramajra publicly offered an unconditional apology.
Why did the two MLAs resign ?
Political observers believe the resignations may be linked to concerns that the party would not give the two MLAs tickets for the 2027 elections. AAP released its first list of 40 candidates on Saturday, including the candidate for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s constituency. Neither Jouramajra nor Pathanmajra was included.
Observers say the two may have taken this as a sign that they would not be renominated and resigned before the party announced further candidates. The speculation was also fuelled by AAP’s appointments of Ranjodh Hadana as constituency in-charge for Sanour and Surjit Singh Rakhra for Samana. These appointments had prompted questions about the party’s plans for the two constituencies ahead of the election.
What could the resignations mean for AAP?
Jouramajra represents Samana, while Pathanmajra represents Sanour. In the 2022 Assembly election, Jouramajra won Samana with 74,375 votes, defeating the Shiromani Akali Dal candidate by 39,713 votes. Pathanmajra won Sanour with 83,893 votes, defeating the Akali candidate by 49,122 votes.
AAP received more than half of the votes cast in both constituencies combined, according to the figures cited in the report. Political observers say the resignations are a setback for AAP and highlight internal tensions that could grow in the coming months. They also believe the party may drop some sitting MLAs from its remaining candidate lists, even though all 40 candidates announced in the first list were the party’s previous candidates.