The Congress criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its former chief Arvind Kejriwal for deviating from the party’s core values, resulting in seven of its Rajya Sabha MPs, including Raghav Chadha, defecting to the BJP. Congress leaders expressed disappointment over Chadha’s perceived ambition, with Sandeep Dikshit noting a reported discord between Chadha and Kejriwal in Punjab.
Dikshit highlighted that the absence of a clear ideology within AAP made ideological disagreements an unlikely cause for the defections. He also pointed out the departure of key AAP figures like Sandeep Pathak, suggesting a lack of faith in the party’s future and dissatisfaction with Kejriwal’s leadership.
Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira characterized the situation as the “fate” of AAP, alleging that Kejriwal had shifted the party’s focus to financial interests. Khaira accused the departing MPs of being affluent individuals disconnected from the party’s ethos, claiming they had acquired their Rajya Sabha seats from Kejriwal and later traded them for better prospects.
Khaira further criticized AAP for what he described as a profit-driven administration in Punjab, alleging complicity in farmer oppression, environmental exploitation through mining activities, and leniency towards criminal elements. He predicted the party’s decline in national politics post the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
In contrast, Congress leader Husain Dalwai condemned the MPs’ exit as unethical, emphasizing loyalty to the party that nurtured them. He criticized the BJP’s alleged intimidation tactics and urged steadfast commitment to ideological principles, suggesting that AAP’s MLAs might face pressure to defect but asserting that a party grounded in ideology would endure beyond individual departures.
