The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini of attempting to lure its Sangrur MLA Narinder Kaur Bharaj as part of the BJP’s alleged “Operation Lotus” in Punjab.
AAP general secretary Baltej Pannu claimed that Bharaj was offered a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket from Sangrur for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections during a closed-door meeting.
“Haryana CM offered the MLA the BJP ticket and everything else she wanted,” Pannu alleged.
Refuting the charge, CM Saini denied any knowledge of the matter, stating, “I have no clue about who Bharaj is or whom she represents. I have never met her. Who is she?
”Bharaj, however, confirmed that she had been approached through a middleman on behalf of CM Saini five days earlier.
“They called for a meeting and tried to offer to induct me into the saffron party. The middleman said he would arrange a one-on-one meeting with CM Saini,” she said.
Bharaj added, “I immediately revealed this to the leadership of my party because I will never betray my party for anyone.”
The 27-year-old MLA, who became the youngest member of the Punjab Assembly in 2022, said, “I started my political career as an AAP polling agent in 2014 when I was 19. I have grown up with the party and will never betray it.”
She accused the BJP of making repeated attempts to lure AAP members but asserted that such tactics had failed.
“Everyone — including ministers, MLAs, and workers — is loyal to AAP. We entered politics to change the system, norms, and customs set by earlier parties. We don’t indulge in horse-trading; such tactics don’t work on AAP Punjab,” she said.
In response, CM Saini criticised AAP’s governance record, stating, “The party came to power by promising the moon to the people of Punjab.
It is unable to fulfil its promises— the same happened in Delhi, which is why the party was voted out of power last year.”
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