NEW DELHI: The rift within the Aam Aadmi Party escalated significantly on Friday as Raghav Chadha led a major exodus, resulting in seven AAP MPs joining the Bharatiya Janata Party. Out of the party's total strength of 10 MPs, only three members remained to voice AAP and Arvind Kejriwal's concerns.
The severe setback has weakened AAP considerably, leaving it with its leader in the House, Sanjay Singh, along with two others -- ND Gupta and Balbir Singh Seechewal.
Rajya Sabha leader Sanjay Singh, who has remained firmly aligned with Kejriwal's brand of politics during this crisis, lashed out at his now-estranged colleagues, terming them 'traitors.'
Singh said, 'Operation Lotus is being executed on the Punjab government... ED and CBI are being used to carry out this Operation Lotus... The people of Punjab will never forget these 'traitors'...'
Raghav Chadha led the push that dealt a significant blow to the party's strength in Parliament. The party has now been reduced to just three members in the Rajya Sabha, taking its total tally in Parliament to six, including Lok Sabha members.
Sanjay Singh, also the party's spokesperson, has been a strong voice for AAP in Parliament. ND Gupta, a chartered accountant, is an octogenarian leader long associated with Kejriwal's politics. Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, an environmentalist and Sikh leader from Punjab, represents AAP in the Rajya Sabha.
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