Chandigarh, May 2 -- The confidence motion moved by the Bhagwant Mann government was unanimously passed in the Punjab assembly on Friday, with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs reaffirming that they stand like loyal soldiers of the party. This comes a week after seven AAP Rajya Sabha members defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The chief minister moved the confidence motion during the special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, called to commemorate the International Labour Day. "There are rumours that AAP will be finished and its MLAs would switch sides, and such rumours create an illusion in people's minds," Mann said in the House, while moving the motion. The motion was passed unanimously in the absence of opposition members. While the Congress staged a walkout ahead of the vote, BSP MLA Nachattar Pal and Independent MLA Rana Inder Singh left the House during proceedings. In the 117-member House, AAP holds a commanding majority with 94 MLAs. Of these, 88 were present during the session, while two were abroad, two in jail, and two hospitalised. Moving the motion, Mann dismissed speculation about instability within his party, saying such rumours were being spread to create confusion among the public. "When a broom is used to clean dirt, a few bristles may come off, but it does not weaken the broom," he said, referring to recent defections. The development comes days after seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs - Rajinder Gupta, Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Kumar Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Vikramjit Singh Sahney (all from Punjab), and Swati Maliwal (Delhi) - constituting two-thirds of its total strength of 10 in the Upper House, defected to the BJP, dealing a major blow to the party. The CM said during his meeting with President Droupadi Murmu on May 5, he will submit a copy of the confidence motion and seek amendments to existing laws to enable stricter anti-defection provisions, including a possible recall mechanism for elected representatives who switch parties. Taking aim at the opposition, Mann said it was "baffled" and failing to gain traction despite what he described as negative propaganda. He questioned the organisational strength of the BJP and described the Congress's absence during the vote as tacit support for the government. Mann asserted that the AAP's support base remains strong and will translate into an even larger mandate in 2027. He highlighted the party's grassroots foundation, built through relentless effort and dedication, and reaffirmed its steadfast alignment with Arvind Kejriwal. He said institutions such as the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation are being "misused" in ways that undermine the Constitution. "The opposition is in a shambles and their leadership is divided with leaders squabbling for power. The leader of opposition and his own brother live in the same house but have flags of different parties on it," Mann said. "Unlike the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal or BJP, the AAP cannot be broken as it has emerged to clean the political system. The shifting allegiance of a few opportunist leaders makes no difference as the people of Punjab stand firmly with the AAP government and its path-breaking initiatives," said Mann. "The BJP has no cadre of its own. Celebrities come, contest elections and then leave. Out of their 240 MPs, 125 are from the Congress, which shows they have no base," he added. Raising concerns about the broader democratic environment, Mann said the entire country is passing through tough times, where democratic norms are being jeopardised and the Constitution is being ransacked. This is a grave insult to Babasaheb Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Constitution, and is intolerable. Cabinet ministers Harpal Singh Cheema, Aman Arora, Sanjeev Arora also spoke in favour of the motion, besides MLAs Manjeet Singh Bilaspur and Anmol Gagan Mann....