Day after Delhi loss, Kejri summons Punjab MLAs

A day after the Aam Aadmi Party suffered a crushing defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections, its supremo Arvind Kejriwal today summoned party’s Punjab MLAs and ministers for a meeting in Delhi on February 11.

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This comes amid claims by certain state Congress leaders of being in touch with nearly 20 AAP MLAs. The party has in the past also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of trying to poach its MLAs as part of “Operation Lotus” in the state.

The party legislators have been asked to cancel their engagements on Tuesday and attend the meeting at Kapurthala House, the official residence of Punjab Chief Minister when he visits the national capital.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who had been camping in Delhi for the past three days, arrived here late this afternoon. Soon after, the Cabinet meeting scheduled for Monday was postponed to February 13. The meeting — the first in four months — was initially slated for February 6, but was later rescheduled for February 10.After the party’s dismal performance in Delhi — winning just 22 of the 70 seats — the focus of the top brass seems to have shifted to Punjab, the only state held by it now. While the agenda of the meeting has been kept under wraps, Kejriwal is likely to give the party legislators a “pep talk”, asking them to reconnect with the voter as “aam aadmi” in respective constituencies and not get swayed by the “benefits that come with power”, it is learnt.