The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) experienced a significant shakeup as prominent leaders and current Rajya Sabha MPs, including Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, and Sandeep Pathak, officially announced their move to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The transition was marked by a press conference led by Chadha, where they criticized AAP policies dating back to 2013.
Chadha, once a key figure in the AAP’s Rajya Sabha representation, declared the merger of the majority of AAP’s Rajya Sabha members with the BJP, utilizing constitutional provisions to avoid anti-defection disqualification. The move was finalized at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, where they were welcomed by BJP President Nitin Nabin.
This development, although anticipated for some leaders like Chadha and Swati Maliwal, reshaped AAP’s political landscape and created a new challenge for its leadership ahead of the 2027 Punjab elections. Chadha, a prominent figure in the party and a close aide to Kejriwal, along with Pathak, known for strategic contributions to AAP’s victories, added weight to the defection.
