In a blow to Arvind Kejriwal, seven of the ten Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MPs have defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), dealing a significant blow to the opposition party’s presence in the Upper House.
Rajya Sabha MPs Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal and Sandeep Pathak formally joined the BJP in New Delhi on Friday in the presence of party chief Nitin Nabin. The remaining four MPs — former cricketer Harbhajan Singh, Swati Maliwal, Rajinder Gupta and Vikram Sahney — are expected to join the BJP shortly.
The leaders were welcomed at the BJP office, where they were presented bouquets and greeted by senior party functionaries.
Merger Claim, Legal Shield
Earlier in the day, Chadha, 37, announced his resignation from the Aam Aadmi Party, stating that seven MPs would merge with the Bharatiya Janata Party. He said he was the right man in the wrong party.
“As per the Constitution, two-thirds of the total MPs of a party can merge with another party. We have submitted a letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan along with all required documents,” Chadha said.
With seven out of ten MPs switching sides, the move crosses the two-thirds threshold, making disqualification under the anti-defection law unlikely.
Only three AAP MPs — Sanjay Singh, Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal and N. D. Gupta — now remain in the Rajya Sabha.
Chadha Targets AAP Leadership
Launching a sharp attack on his former party, Chadha alleged that AAP had strayed from its founding principles.
“Over the past few years, I have increasingly felt that I am the right person in the wrong party,” he said, adding that he would now work more closely with the public.
Chadha, who joined AAP at its inception in 2012 and emerged as a close aide of Arvind Kejriwal, had played a key role in the party’s 2022 Punjab Assembly election victory. However, his relationship with the leadership had reportedly deteriorated over the past year.
Party insiders had criticised Chadha for softening his stance in Parliament, avoiding direct attacks on the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and staying away from key Opposition actions.
He also drew criticism for not signing a notice seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and for his absence during Opposition protests.
Other Defectors Speak
Sandeep Pathak described the split as unexpected. “For 10 years, I remained associated with this party. Today, I am parting ways,” he said. He however refrained from criticising AAP or Arvind Kejriwal.
AAP Alleges ‘Operation Lotus’
Reacting sharply, AAP accused the BJP of engineering defections through “Operation Lotus”.
Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said the party had invested heavily in the MPs who were elected from Punjab. “The people of Punjab sent them to the Rajya Sabha, yet they ended up in the lap of the BJP. People will not forgive these traitors,” he said.
He further alleged that central agencies and state machinery were being used to destabilise the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government — currently AAP’s only state government after its defeat in Delhi.
Kejriwal Reacts
In a brief response, Kejriwal said the BJP had “betrayed” the people of Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Political Implications
The development significantly weakens AAP’s numerical strength in the Rajya Sabha and strengthens the BJP’s position in the Upper House. It also signals potential turbulence in Punjab politics, where AAP faces elections in early 2027.
The episode marks one of the largest single-instance defections in recent parliamentary history, with legal cover under the merger provision of the anti-defection framework.
Also Read: Kejriwal Reacts to Gujarat BJP Leaders, Functionaries Joining AAP, Says They ‘Have Lost Hope’ https://www.vibesofindia.com/kejriwal-reacts-to-gujarat-bjp-leaders-functionaries-joining-aap-says-they-have-lost-hope/
