Punjab AAP Govt Passes Confidence Motion Unanimously

In Chandigarh on Friday, the Aam Aadmi Party government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann secured unanimous passage of a confidence motion in the Punjab Assembly, a move aimed at dispelling rumors of internal instability following the defection of seven party Rajya Sabha members to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The special one-day session of the 117-member Punjab Vidhan Sabha saw Mann introduce the motion, which passed by voice vote after opposition lawmakers largely stayed away. The Congress staged a walkout, the BJP boycotted the proceedings, and Shiromani Akali Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party members were absent. Only Independent MLA Rana Inderpratap Singh remained in the House alongside AAP legislators.

AAP holds 94 seats in the assembly, providing a clear majority. Of its MLAs, 88 attended, with two abroad, two in jail, and two hospitalized, according to party officials. The ruling party had issued a whip requiring attendance.

Mann told the House that rumors of the party's collapse or mass MLA defections were baseless and intended to mislead the public. "The party is strong. From Jammu and Kashmir to Goa, the party has a presence," he said, citing AAP representation including an...