New Delhi: In a significant political development, Raghav Chadha, along with Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal, has left the Aam Aadmi Party to join the Bharatiya Janata Party, triggering a major shake up within the party’s parliamentary ranks. The announcement was made during a press conference in New Delhi, where Chadha stated that two thirds of AAP’s Rajya Sabha MPs have exited and are aligning with the BJP as a group.
The move has sparked speculation about whether the remaining MPs will follow suit. Swati Maliwal has already indicated her decision to leave the party, while Vikram Sahney expressed willingness to work more closely with the Centre, signalling a possible shift. Meanwhile, Rajinder Gupta and Harbhajan Singh have not yet made their positions public.
Responding to the development, Sanjay Singh from AAP announced plans to approach the Rajya Sabha Chairman seeking disqualification of the MPs who switched parties, citing defection rules.
The exits come at a crucial time, with assembly elections in Punjab approaching next year. The developments have reduced AAP’s strength in the Upper House significantly and raised concerns about its internal cohesion.
Reports suggest that the party leadership, led by Arvind Kejriwal, had attempted to address dissatisfaction among some MPs by considering alternative roles, including potential assembly tickets. However, these efforts were reportedly delayed and failed to prevent the coordinated exit.
The situation has exposed gaps in communication within the party, as several MPs who had not publicly expressed dissent chose to leave. The rapid sequence of events, including the submission of merger documents before internal discussions could take place, caught the leadership off guard.
With the political landscape shifting, the coming days are expected to be critical for AAP as it works to stabilise its position and respond to one of the most significant internal challenges since coming to power in Punjab.
