Departures follow candidate announcement
According to PTI, Pathanmajra submitted a resignation letter to AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal. Jouramajra, a former minister, made his departure public on social media.
Their resignations came one day after AAP announced its first 40 candidates for the election. Neither Samana nor Sanour was included, and the party had not announced a nominee for either constituency.
AAP had already named other leaders to oversee party affairs in both seats. Former Punjab minister Surjit Singh Rakhra took charge of Samana in September, while Ranjod Hadana was appointed constituency in-charge for Sanour. The Tribune reported that the appointments prompted speculation that the two incumbents would not receive nominations. Rakhra is considered a likely candidate for Samana, though AAP has not officially named him.
Jouramajra had previously served in Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's Cabinet but lost his ministerial position in a reshuffle. The Tribune described his removal as a setback for him.
BJP move remains unconfirmed
The Tribune reported that both lawmakers were likely to join the BJP. ABP Live cited speculation that they might make the move at Union Home Minister Amit Shah's public meeting in Chandigarh later on November 1. Neither leader's entry into the BJP had been officially confirmed.
The two were scheduled to hold a press conference at the Chandigarh Press Club at 4:30 p.m. that day. They were expected to discuss why they resigned and outline their political plans, according to ABP Live.
Pathanmajra's criticism and criminal case
Before leaving AAP, Pathanmajra had questioned the performance of his own party's government. He also faces a rape case filed in September 2025 following a complaint from a woman based in Zirakpur.
The complainant alleged that he falsely presented himself as divorced, began a relationship with her and married her in 2021 despite already being married.
In March 2026, Punjab Police arrested Pathanmajra in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. The arrest came more than six months after he escaped from police custody in connection with the case. The Punjab and Haryana High Court granted him regular bail in May.
AAP's election lineup
All 40 candidates on AAP's October 31 list were sitting lawmakers selected to contest their existing seats again, The Indian Express reported. The nominees included Mann in Dhuri and jailed minister Sanjeev Arora in Ludhiana West. The Malwa region accounted for 27 of the constituencies on the list.
Punjab's Assembly election is slated for February 2027. AAP won 92 of the state's 117 seats in its 2022 victory; The Indian Express put its current Assembly tally at 94.
