Rajmeet SinghTribune News serviceChandigarh, April 24The defection of seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs to the BJP is being viewed by Punjab Congress leaders as a “blessing in disguise” in the run-up to the Assembly elections.Congress insiders said the development could weaken the ruling party significantly, positioning the Congress as the principal challenger in the state.However, a section within the party also expressed apprehension that similar political pressure tactics could be used against Congress leaders by the BJP-led Centre.Senior Congress leader and former Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana KP Singh said AAP lacked ideological grounding.“AAP has no political ideology. The political bubble has burst. As more leaders desert the party, its position will be decimated ahead of the elections,” he said, adding that the Congress did not consider the BJP its main rival in Punjab.Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa described the development as indicative of an internal power struggle in AAP rather than an ideological divide.“The crisis is not about principles but about control over Punjab’s resources and public money,” he said, alleging that the situation reflected competition for power and patronage.Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring echoed similar sentiments, saying more defections could follow. “Today it is just seven MPs, tomorrow it may be 50 legislators,” he said, questioning AAP’s method of distributing Rajya Sabha and Assembly tickets.Warring claimed that many AAP legislators and parliamentarians lacked ideological commitment, making such defections unsurprising.Bajwa also criticised the BJP, alleging misuse of central agencies to pressure Opposition leaders into switching sides. “This raises serious concerns about institutional integrity and the selective use of investigative mechanisms,” he said.Former deputy chief minister and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said the episode reflected poorly on both AAP and the BJP. He alleged that while the BJP was managing political equations through a strategy of “sam, daam, dand, bhed”, AAP in Punjab was also following similar tactics.Randhawa claimed that both parties gave preference to political interests over public concerns.“This clearly shows that they are distancing themselves from public issues and focusing only on strengthening their political base,” he said.Congress leaders said the situation presented an opportunity for party workers to set aside individual ambitions and work collectively to strengthen the organisation.“In the evolving political landscape, the party sees its principal contest in Punjab with the Shiromani Akali Dal,” a leader said.