Chandigarh | Gian Singh Mann, the cousin of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on Monday joined the BJP, targeting the AAP government over corruption, which he alleged has "doubled" and other issues, including the menace of drugs and unemployment.

Lashing out at the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit, Gian Singh Mann alleged that the AAP has "drifted away" from its policies and also alleged that the leaders from Delhi were calling the shots in Punjab.

Gian Singh Mann, who hails from Satoj village in Sangrur district, is the son of the younger brother of Chief Minister Mann's father. His mother and that of his cousin are sisters.

He joined the BJP in a ceremony attended by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Punjab BJP Chief Sunil Jakhar, who welcomed him into the party at the Punjab BJP headquarters here.

"We welcome Gian Singh Mann to the BJP," Saini announced to the media.

The Punjab Assembly elections are scheduled for early next year. Previously, Gian Singh Mann had been an active supporter of the AAP and campaigned for the party during the 2022 assembly elections. However, he later became a vocal critic of the Mann government, specifically criticising the land pooling policy last year.

Speaking to the media after joining the BJP, Gian Singh Mann said he had initially joined the AAP in 2014 because he was impressed by Arvind Kejriwal's vision. He noted that Mann had been elected MP from Sangrur twice before becoming chief minister.

However, he lamented that after AAP formed the government in 2022, it shifted from being the "Aam Aadmi Party" to the "Khas Aadmi Party."

Mann criticised the AAP for neglecting party volunteers when distributing tickets for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, claiming the party has "completely forgotten" about Punjab.

He condemned the functioning of the AAP government, alleging that drugs have infiltrated every corner of the state and that corruption has "doubled."

He recounted how party volunteers used to reach out to him for assistance with issues in the tehsil offices and police stations. Furthermore, he accused the state government of failing to address unemployment.

Slamming Kejriwal's promise of mobilising Rs 20,000 crore every year from sand mining in the state, Mann asked, "Where has this Rs 20,000 crore per annum gone over the past four years? Kejriwal himself should answer to the people."

Reflecting on his decision, he stated, "After witnessing the condition of Punjab due to AAP's governance, I am quitting the party." He stated that he had joined the AAP for the welfare of Punjab but noted, "The entire state knows the kind of situation AAP has created."

Mann alleged that leaders who lost the Delhi Assembly elections are the ones running the AAP government in Punjab, and he claimed that only the BJP could save the state. "The BJP has consistently won elections across the country; there must be something good about it," he stated.

He also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, claiming that the country is making significant progress on the global stage.

When asked if he ever sought a position within the AAP earlier, Mann replied that family members and relatives of ministers and the chief minister should not hold government positions or interfere in governmental matters.

In response to Mann's defection to the BJP, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia said in a post on X, "When even your own family members start leaving, understand that something is seriously wrong!"