The Great AAP Exodus

In a massive blow to the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party, three of its most prominent Rajya Sabha members—Raghav Chadha, Dr. Sandeep Pathak, and Ashok Mittal—have officially resigned from the party. The leaders have announced their intention to join the BJP, citing a "deviation from core principles" within their former party.

 Details of the Shift

• Constitutional Maneuver: Raghav Chadha stated that two-thirds of the AAP's Rajya Sabha contingent (reportedly 7 out of 10 members) are moving together. By doing so, they aim to invoke the merger provisions of the Anti-Defection Law (Tenth Schedule) to avoid disqualification from Parliament.

  
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• Other Big Names: Beyond the initial three, reports indicate that Harbhajan Singh, Vikram Sahney, Swati Maliwal, and Rajinder Gupta are also part of this group moving toward the BJP.

• The "Right Man, Wrong Party" Statement: During the press conference, Chadha expressed his disillusionment, famously stating, "I nurtured this party for 15 years, but it has strayed from its morals. I realized I was the right man in the wrong party."

• Impact on AAP: This move effectively wipes out AAP’s dominant presence in the Upper House and significantly weakens its national standing, especially following the party's reported losses in the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections.

The "Why" Behind the Move

The rift reportedly deepened after Chadha was removed as the party's deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha earlier this month. Internal friction regarding the party's direction during legal crises and its performance in recent state elections appear to be the primary catalysts for this realignment.