AAP suspends Maur MLA after he challenges Punjab’s education reform claims

The Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab unit suspended Maur MLA Sukhveer Singh Maiserkhana from its primary membership on Saturday, hours after he publicly questioned the Bhagwant Mann government’s claims about the state’s education reforms and raised concerns over teacher shortages in government schools.

The action was taken on the grounds of “anti-party activities” and “indiscipline”. The suspension order was issued by AAP Punjab general secretary Harchand Singh Barsat with immediate effect.

Maiserkhana, a first-time MLA from Bathinda district, had raised the issues in an emotional Facebook Live address, saying repeated attempts to get the problems resolved internally had failed.

MLA questions ‘education revolution’

Maiserkhana challenged the AAP government’s much-publicised ‘education kranti’ or education revolution, saying students were continuing to face problems because of inadequate teaching staff and infrastructure.

He specifically referred to the School of Eminence at Ram Nagar in his constituency, where his son studies, and alleged a serious shortage of teachers.

The MLA said he had informed AAP Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann about the shortage but claimed that no one had shown interest in resolving the issue.

He also said his children study in government schools, making him the only MLA in the 117-member Punjab assembly whose children are enrolled in state-run schools. His son attends a School of Eminence, while his daughter studies at another government school.

Maiserkhana said he would continue raising issues affecting government schools and would not “beg” for an Assembly ticket in the forthcoming elections. He also alleged that the party leadership was harassing and isolating him.

In his Facebook address, he said that if the government was not able to improve schools, it would be difficult for the party to seek votes on the promise of better education.

AAP disputes teacher shortage claims

The Punjab AAP leadership rejected Maiserkhana’s claims and accused him of attempting to defame the party and government by making false statements about the functioning of state educational institutions.

The party cited school records dated September 29 to counter his allegations about the School of Eminence at Ram Nagar.

According to the records released by AAP, the school has 30 sanctioned teaching posts, of which 25 are filled. Its staff comprises a principal, seven lecturers, 15 Master Cadre teachers and two computer science teachers.

The school has 580 students studying in Classes 6 to 12 across 19 sections. Five sanctioned teaching posts remain vacant, while the school principal has reportedly submitted a written request seeking their filling and additional posts where required.

AAP said Maiserkhana’s public statements were contrary to the official record and maintained that party discipline required elected representatives to ensure factual accuracy while speaking publicly.

Opposition targets AAP over suspension

The suspension triggered criticism from opposition parties in Punjab.

Punjab Congress chief Pargat Singh said Maiserkhana had himself exposed what he described as the AAP government's approach towards dissent and its claims about an education revolution.

Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa also questioned the situation, pointing to Maiserkhana’s claim that repeated requests to address school problems had gone unanswered and that he could not secure a meeting with the chief minister.

The BJP also attacked the AAP government, saying the MLA’s allegations had undermined its ‘education revolution’ narrative.

Political activity intensifies in Maur

The dispute has unfolded amid changing political activity in Maiserkhana’s home constituency.

Navdeep Singh Jeeda, the AAP in-charge for the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency and chairperson of Punjab Sugarfed, opened an office in Maur on Friday. The move has been viewed in political circles as an indication that he may be positioning himself in the Assembly segment represented by Maiserkhana.

Maiserkhana won the Maur Assembly seat on an AAP ticket in the 2022 Punjab elections by a margin of more than 35,000 votes.

The MLA had previously explained his decision to send his children to government schools by saying elected representatives needed to have confidence in the institutions they encouraged ordinary families to use. He had said his son was moved from a convent school to a government school during the Covid pandemic, while his daughter was enrolled directly in a state-run school. He also said other parents followed his example.