Key AAP Leaders Switch to BJP, Marking a Major Political Shift

On Friday, Rajya Sabha members Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, and Sandeep Pathak made headlines by leaving the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), delivering a substantial blow to Arvind Kejriwal's leadership. During a press conference alongside Mittal and Pathak, Chadha announced their decision to merge with the BJP, citing their two-thirds majority in the Rajya Sabha as a basis for this constitutional move.

 

Chadha, Mittal, and Pathak have been Rajya Sabha members representing AAP since 2022. Chadha expressed his disillusionment with the party he had dedicated years of hard work to, stating that AAP has strayed from its foundational principles and is no longer serving the national interest, but rather pursuing personal gains. He emphasized that many have echoed his sentiments over the years, leading him to conclude that he is in the wrong party despite being the right person. He declared, 'I am in the wrong party as the right person,' and announced his departure from AAP to reconnect with the public.

 

Chadha further elaborated that they, as two-thirds of AAP's Rajya Sabha members, would utilize constitutional provisions to facilitate their merger with the BJP. He noted that out of AAP's ten Rajya Sabha members, a significant majority supports this transition. They have already submitted the signed documents to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, with several members present at the announcement.