In a massive jolt to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership, recently removed Rajya Sabha Deputy Leader Raghav Chadha held a press conference to publicly announce his decision to leave the party and join the BJP. Along with him, six other AAP Rajya Sabha MPs have also defected, creating significant political tremors. Chadha did not hold back in his criticism of the party he once fiercely defended, explicitly stating that AAP has been completely taken over by corrupt individuals and has strayed far from the core principles upon which it was originally founded.
Explaining his departure, Chadha expressed deep disillusionment, stating, “I have poured my blood and sweat for 15 years to build this party. However, it no longer works for the nation; it works purely for personal self-interest.” He revealed that he felt he was the “right person in the wrong party” and emphasized that he refused to be a part of the “crimes” committed by the AAP leadership. According to Chadha, the lack of his involvement in these alleged wrongdoings is precisely why he lost favor with the party’s high command, leading to his recent removal from his leadership post.
Faced with the choice of quitting politics entirely or using their experience to engage in “positive politics,” Chadha and his colleagues chose the latter by aligning with the BJP. He confirmed that a total of seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs—including prominent figures like Swati Maliwal, Harbhajan Singh, Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Rajinder Gupta, and Vikramjit Singh Sahney—are joining the saffron party. The defecting MPs, who represent a two-thirds majority of AAP’s 10-member representation in the Upper House, have already submitted their signed letters to the Rajya Sabha Chairman seeking the official merger of their faction with the BJP.
