In a major political development that could reshape the parliamentary dynamics of the opposition, Raghav Chadha, along with fellow Rajya Sabha MPs Ashok Kumar Mittal and Sandeep Pathak, announced their resignation from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and merger with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday. The move is being seen as a significant setback for AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.
Addressing a joint press conference, Chadha declared that two-thirds of AAP’s representation in the Rajya Sabha had decided to invoke constitutional provisions to merge with the BJP. “We have decided that we, the two-thirds members belonging to AAP in Rajya Sabha, will exercise the provisions of the Constitution of India and merge ourselves with the BJP,” he said, indicating that the shift was both strategic and legally grounded.
Chadha, who has been among AAP’s most prominent national faces since becoming a Rajya Sabha MP in 2022, struck an emotional chord while explaining his decision. “The Aam Aadmi Party, which I nurtured with my blood and sweat and to which I gave 15 years of my youth, has now completely deviated from its principles, values, and core morals,” he stated. He accused the party of drifting away from its founding ideals and prioritising personal interests over national concerns. “I am the right man in the wrong party,” he reiterated, underscoring a growing internal disillusionment.
Both Mittal and Pathak, who have also served as AAP MPs in the Upper House since 2022, echoed similar sentiments, although they did not speak at length during the press interaction. Their collective exit signals a deeper churn within AAP’s parliamentary ranks and raises questions about internal cohesion within the party.
In a further escalation, Chadha claimed that other notable figures, including Swati Maliwal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, and Vikramjit Singh Sahney, have also decided to part ways with AAP and join the BJP. However, independent confirmation from these individuals was awaited at the time of reporting.
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