Major split in AAP as 7 Rajya Sabha MPs including Raghav Chadha leave party; announce merger with BJP

New Delhi: Raghav Chadha, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, held a press conference on Friday to announce his resignation from the party. Along with Raghav Chadha, several other AAP MPs are set to join the BJP. Addressing the press conference alongside Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal, MP Raghav Chadha stated, "We have decided that we—two-thirds of the Aam Aadmi Party's members in the Rajya Sabha—will merge with the BJP, exercising the provisions enshrined in the Constitution of India."

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has thus suffered a massive blow. The party's parliamentary group has split. Seven out of its ten Rajya Sabha MPs have collectively quit the party and merged with the BJP. In addition to Raghav Chadha, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikram Sahney, and Swati Maliwal have also left the Aam Aadmi Party. The biggest shock for AAP is that Ashok Mittal—who had been appointed Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, replacing Raghav Chadha—has also defected to the BJP. Furthermore, Sandeep Pathak—the party's Organizational General Secretary and currently Arvind Kejriwal's chief strategist—has also left the party to join the BJP.

What did Raghav Chadha say?

MP Raghav Chadha remarked, "The Aam Aadmi Party—which I nurtured with my blood and sweat, and to which I dedicated 15 years of my youth—has strayed from its principles, values, and core ideology. This party now operates not in the national interest, but solely for its own personal gain. For the past few years, I have felt like a 'right man in the wrong party.' Therefore, today we announce that I am parting ways with the Aam Aadmi Party and moving closer to the people."

Why is Raghav Chadha leaving the Aam Aadmi Party?

Addressing the media, Raghav Chadha noted that prior to entering politics, he was a Chartered Accountant (CA). "Joining me on this platform were individuals from diverse fields, including scientists and academicians. Among those leaving the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today are a world-class cricketer, a Padma Shri awardee, and social activists. All these individuals sacrificed everything to establish this party, driven by a collective resolve to create a corruption-free India."

The MP further added, "I was a founding member of this party, and perhaps no one knows it better than I do. With absolute commitment and dedication, we collectively built the party in Delhi. We established it in Punjab and strove to expand its footprint across other states."

"However, today—with deep sorrow, anguish, and shame—I must state that this very party, originally formed with the resolve to eradicate corruption, has now fallen captive to the clutches of corrupt and opportunistic individuals. This is precisely why every patriot who joined the Aam Aadmi Party with the noble intention of serving the nation has either already left the party or is departing, one by one."