Fresh setback for AAP: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann's cousin joins BJP 

Gian Singh Mann, first cousin of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday in a symbolic setback for the ruling Aam Aadmi Party ahead of next year's Punjab Assembly elections.

The induction took place at the BJP's Punjab headquarters in Chandigarh in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar.

Gian Singh Mann shares both maternal and paternal ties with the Punjab Chief Minister and belongs to their ancestral village of Satoj in Sangrur district.

Gian Singh had earlier been associated with the AAP and played an active role in Bhagwant Mann's political network in Sangrur.

During Bhagwant Mann’s tenure as Sangrur MP between 2014 and 2022, Gian Singh remained active on the ground and later participated in the campaign that helped the AAP secure a landslide victory in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.

However, ties between the two reportedly deteriorated in recent years, with Gian Singh emerging as a critic of the AAP government's functioning and its handling of poll promises.

The BJP is expected to use the crossover to sharpen its campaign around internal dissatisfaction within the AAP ahead of the Punjab elections scheduled early next year.

The development also comes weeks after seven Rajya Sabha MPs, including Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak, defected to the BJP, adding to the pressure on the AAP leadership in Punjab.