AAP names 40 Punjab candidates as two MLAs quit party

AAP's first candidate announcement for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections was signalled on October 30. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann confirmed that the list would come the following day, according to Punjab Newsline.

The selection followed a meeting of AAP's Political Affairs Committee. Mann said 40 names, including his own, had been announced after that meeting, The Hindu reported.

On October 31, AAP released its first list of 40 candidates. Mann was named for Dhuri again, according to Times of India.

The selections favoured incumbents: Swarajya reported that all 40 candidates were sitting MLAs. India Today also reported that a jailed MLA had received a ticket.

On November 1, the focus shifted to departures. Chetan Singh Jouramajra from Samana and Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra from Sanour resigned from the party's primary membership, Times now reported.

The resignations came a day after the list was released. India Today described the departures as following a ticket snub.

AAP has announced 40 candidates, with Mann set to contest from Dhuri. The immediate fallout is the departure of two MLAs, reported by The Indian Express as a rebellion following the first list.

The coverage differs on the scope of those resignations. Times now reported that the two resigned from AAP's primary membership, while India News described them as resigning from the Punjab Assembly. Those are different steps, and the supplied reports do not resolve that discrepancy.

The next candidate announcements will show who else AAP chooses for the 2027 contest. The supplied coverage does not give a date for another list or establish what the two departing MLAs will do next.

The election timing also needs clarification. Scroll.in reported that voting was scheduled for February 2027, while Times now said the polls were due in March or April.