In a significant political development, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suffered a major setback as seven of its Rajya Sabha members, including estranged MP Raghav Chadha, left the party and merged with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The move has reshaped the political landscape in the Upper House.
Chadha's Announcement
Addressing a press conference, Raghav Chadha stated that the decision was driven by the MPs' belief that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party had strayed from its foundational principles, values, and core morals. He emphasized that the group felt compelled to align with a party that better represents their vision for the nation.
BJP's Welcome
BJP chief Nitin Nabin warmly welcomed the parliamentarians at the party headquarters in Delhi, offering them traditional sweets. In a post on X, Nabin said, "Welcomed Raghav Chadha Ji, Sandeep Pathak Ji, and Ashok Mittal Ji to the BJP family at the party HQ today. Also, best wishes to Harbhajan Singh Ji, Swati Maliwal Ji, Vikram Sahney Ji, and Rajinder Gupta Ji to work under the dynamic leadership of PM Narendra Modi towards the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047."
Anti-Defection Law Not Applicable
The anti-defection law under the Tenth Schedule does not apply to these AAP MPs because it permits two-thirds of a legislature party to break away and merge with another party. The law states that a member shall not be disqualified if their original party merges with another party and they claim to be part of the new party. Currently, AAP has 10 MPs in the Rajya Sabha. With seven merging, the two-thirds threshold is met, allowing the merger without disqualification. If fewer than two-thirds had defected, they would have had to resign their seats.
What's Next
Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh announced he would write to the Rajya Sabha Chairman to demand disqualification of three MPs—Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, and Sandeep Pathak—under the Tenth Schedule. In a post on X, Singh said, "I will submit a letter to the Hon'ble Rajya Sabha Chairman, in which a demand will be made to declare these MPs disqualified for voluntarily relinquishing party membership."
Meanwhile, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal met senior leader Manish Sisodia late at night to discuss the impact of the split and future strategy. Party sources told ANI that the meeting lasted over half an hour, focusing on the possible fallout and strategic adjustments.
Party sources also indicated that the chief whip in the Upper House, ND Gupta, would submit a letter to the Rajya Sabha Chairman seeking action under the anti-defection law against the three MPs who were publicly seen joining the BJP. The remaining four were not visibly part of the move, so the complaint targets only those three.
Reasons Behind the Split
The exodus followed AAP's removal of Chadha as Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, which triggered internal conflict. Chadha had faced accusations of being soft on the BJP, which he denied, calling them a "coordinated attack."
According to AAP sources, the exits are aimed at destabilizing the party before the Punjab Assembly elections next year. Some MPs, particularly businessmen from Punjab, may have been influenced by fear of action from central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). On April 15, the ED conducted raids on entities linked to AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal in a FEMA probe.
Additionally, Sandeep Pathak, the national general secretary, felt sidelined as his role was restricted to day-to-day affairs, with other leaders handling poll preparations in key states. After Kejriwal's arrest in the liquor policy case in 2024, Chadha's major assignments were also reduced, culminating in his removal as deputy leader last month.
