AAP shakeup: Chadha and 6 MPs quit, join BJP in Delhi power shift
AAP shakeup: Chadha and 6 MPs quit, join BJP in Delhi power shift
Seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs resign and align with BJP, signaling a major political shift amid leadership tensions and Delhi election fallout.
A dramatic realignment is unfolding in Indian politics as Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal — three Rajya Sabha MPs formerly with AAP — announced their split from the party and joined the BJP, in the presence of party chief Nitin Nabin. The move comes as a broader wave of dissatisfaction appears to be sweeping the party’s parliamentary group, with several members reportedly sharing concerns about how decisions were being made in the upper house and the Delhi leadership’s direction ahead of elections.
Behind the public split lies a deeper rift inside AAP’s parliamentary ranks. Pathak and others describe a shift from professional input to advisers wielding influence, with Pathak noting that responsibilities he once held seemed to slip away. “Slowly and steadily, all my responsibilities were taken away from me,” he reportedly told someone, and described the Delhi election loss as a consequence of the new advisory setup. Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MPs in the faction say they operated with little guidance on what issues to raise or how to approach parliamentary strategy, a stance echoed by Harbhajan Singh who said, “I just speak and raise whatever I want to, no one tells me.”
The exit also implicates the man who was chosen as Chadha’s replacement as deputy leader in the RS, Ashok Mittal, who followed his former ally to the BJP. This defection underscores the scale of drift within AAP and raises questions about its future parliamentary strength. The resignation spree extended beyond the three to at least seven MPs in the Rajya Sabha, with reports that one more member quit on a Friday. Swati Maliwal, once seen as part of the party’s broader leadership circle, reportedly left AAP amid the turmoil as well.
Analysts note the timing is significant: the exits come as NDA gains in the Senate are likely to shift the balance on key votes, prompting discussions about potential disqualification under anti-defection rules. A Punjab Congress MP, Amar Singh, warned that many of these MPs were already exploring options outside AAP, signaling a brewing realignment across parties. The latest developments suggest a brewing challenge for Arvind Kejriwal’s leadership and a reshaping of the political landscape in Delhi and beyond.
