Former Shiromani Akali Dal legislator Captain Balbir Singh Bath, Sarabjit Kaur, the wife of late Akali minister Captain Kanwaljit Singh, her daughter Manpreet Kaur Dolly, Secular Lok Raj Party chief Harchand Singh Barsat and singer Sukhwinder Sukhi joined the Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab unit on Saturday. The state's Assembly elections are scheduled for next year.

The party’s state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur, Punjab affairs in-charge Sanjay Singh and Faridkot MP Sadhu Singh inducted the new members, reported Hindustan Times. Bath is a three-time MLA from Sri Hargobindpur in Gurdaspur, and was also a minister in the Parkash Singh Badal government in 2011. Late minister Captain Kanwaljit Singh’s daughter Manpreet Kaur Dolly had contested as an independent candidate in 2012.

Chhotepur told The Times of India that AAP’s popularity was growing in Punjab and that the many people joining them was testimony to that. Rumours are also rife that former Bharatiya Janata Party MP Navjot Sidhu may soon join AAP after the former met party chief Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi on Friday night.