Split within AAP: 6 MPs, Led by Raghav Chadha, Join saffron BJP, Chadha Chadha could be a Minister.
NEW DELHI” AAP Rajya Sabha MPs Raghav Chadha, along with Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday evening. Chadha stated, “We have decided that we—who constitute two-thirds of AAP’s members in the Rajya Sabha—will merge ourselves with the BJP, exercising the provisions of the Constitution of India.” This transition will not be deemed a violation of the Anti-Defection Law, as the statute grants an exemption in cases where two-thirds of a party’s MPs decide to merge with another party. Sources suggest that following his induction into the BJP, Chadha could be appointed as a Union Minister.
Chadha added, “Apart from us, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Vikram Sahney, and Swati Maliwal are also involved.” This development is significant as it comes at a time when AAP is gearing up for the upcoming elections in Punjab. AAP currently forms the government in Punjab. With a substantial section of its Rajya Sabha MPs joining the BJP, the Aam Aadmi Party—and its chief, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal—have suffered a major setback. Notably, Kejriwal had stripped Chadha of his speaking privileges in the Rajya Sabha just a few weeks ago.
Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, Chadha announced that approximately two-thirds of AAP’s 10 MPs in the Upper House would be joining the BJP. He alleged that the party, which rose to power in Delhi on the promise of fighting corruption, is now drifting away from the principles of honest politics. He stated, “We have signed the necessary documents and have informed the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha about our decision to merge with the BJP.”
On Friday, Nitin Naveen, the National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, welcomed former AAP leaders Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, and Ashok Mittal upon their arrival at the party headquarters. Chadha announced that seven AAP Members of Parliament (MPs) had joined the BJP. In a post on ‘X’, Chadha stated, “Today, exercising the provisions of the Constitution of India, more than two-thirds of AAP’s MPs in the Rajya Sabha have merged with the BJP. Seven MPs have signed the documents, which have been submitted to the Honorable Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.”
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated on Friday that the departure of seven out of the party’s ten Rajya Sabha MPs would have no impact on the organization. “The party is bigger than any individual,” Mann asserted. “The six MPs who have left the party do not represent the people of Punjab.”
On Friday, AAP leader Sanjay Singh criticized the seven Rajya Sabha MPs from his party who decided to join the BJP. Rajya Sabha MP Singh remarked, “Today, seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. The
people of Punjab should remember the names of these seven individuals.” Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal accused the BJP of “betraying the people of Punjab.” Raghav Chadha declared, “AAP is corrupt and compromised.” He noted that those merging with the BJP include Harbhajan Singh and Swati Maliwal. He also listed Rajinder Gupta, Vikram Sahney, Ashok Mittal, and Sandeep Pathak as the four other leaders involved. “I dedicated 15 years of my life to AAP. However, the party has now drifted away from the principles of honest politics. I was the right man in the wrong party. I am now distancing myself from the party to move closer to the people.”
Following the departure of 37-year-old Chadha—an alumnus of the London School of Economics (LSE)—AAP is left with only three MPs in the Rajya Sabha: Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, Sanjay Singh, and N.D. Gupta. Chadha had been with the AAP since its inception in 2012, serving as a trusted lieutenant to Kejriwal, who had swept to power in Delhi in 2015 riding the wave of the anti-corruption movement.
Justifying his move to join the BJP, Chadha stated that the AAP is no longer the party it once was. “I was a founding member of this party. We built this party from the ground up in Punjab, Delhi, and other regions with absolute commitment. Today, the AAP is corrupt and compromised. It is no longer the same party,” he said. He added, “I do not wish to be complicit in the AAP’s wrongdoings.” He further remarked that he was left with only two options: either quit politics entirely or do what is right. He chose the latter.
Pathak, who addressed the press conference alongside Chadha, revealed that he had been contemplating resigning from the AAP for the past six to seven months. Swati Maliwal—who had alleged in 2024 that she was assaulted by an aide of Kejriwal—stated that both the AAP and Kejriwal have abandoned the principles, values, and commitment to honest politics upon which the party was founded.
