Punjab Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa Monday claimed that 32 Aam Aadmi Party MLAs were in touch with him to switch sides.
Hitting back, the ruling AAP's state unit president Aman Arora claimed that it was Bajwa who has made an 'advance booking' to join the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Speaking to reporters outside the Punjab assembly, Bajwa also claimed that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was in touch with the BJP.
"When (Arvind) Kejriwal decides to remove him, he (Mann) will pack his bags and join them (BJP)," he claimed.
The leader of the opposition in the state assembly asserted that in his 45 years of political experience, he has never made any wrong statement.
"We had earlier said the Congress does not have any intention to topple this (AAP) government," he said.
"I am saying this again 32 MLAs are in touch with me. Not only MLAs, but even ministers are in touch with me. Aman Arora is also aware of this matter," claimed Bajwa.
"They (AAP MLAs) all know that this is their last term. They are looking for new parties to get tickets. I am in touch with them (32 MLAs). We will see who is to be brought in, who is likely to win the polls and who is not. It will happen at an appropriate time."
Lashing out at Mann, the Qadian MLA claimed that the chief minister remained 'absent' from the House on the first day of the two-day session of the Punjab assembly, which began in Chandigarh on Monday.
Cabinet Minister Arora slammed Bajwa for his claims and alleged that it was the leader of the opposition who would join the BJP.
'Bajwa Ji's joining the BJP is almost certain. He has already made his advance booking with the BJP,' he said in a post on X.
Arora said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should ask Bajwa what he was doing in Bengaluru a few days ago and which senior BJP leaders he met.
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