In a move that delivers a staggering blow to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), seven of its Rajya Sabha members, led by Raghav Chadha, announced their decision to quit the party and join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday.
The announcement comes just days after a highly public fallout between Chadha and the AAP leadership following his removal as the deputy leader in the Upper House.
During a press conference in the capital, Chadha revealed that a two-thirds majority of AAP’s Rajya Sabha contingent has decided to invoke constitutional provisions to merge with the BJP.
The Great Migration
Chadha was joined by fellow MPs Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal in announcing their exit. He further disclosed that the group includes former cricketer Harbhajan Singh, as well as Swati Maliwal, Rajendra Gupta, and Vikram Sahney.
“We have decided that we, the two-thirds members belonging to the AAP in the Rajya Sabha, exercise the provisions of the Constitution of India and merge ourselves with the BJP,” Chadha reportedly stated.
With seven members jumping ship, AAP’s presence in the Rajya Sabha has been decimated, leaving only three representatives, Sanjay Singh, ND Gupta, and Balbir Singh Seechewal.
Right Man in Wrong Party
An emotional Chadha explained that the party he helped build has lost its way and claimed that the AAP has deviated from the core values and morals that defined its inception 15 years ago.
“The AAP, which I nurtured with my blood and sweat, and gave 15 years of my youth to, has deviated from its principles, values and core morals. Now this party does not work in the interest of the nation but for its personal benefits. For the past few years, I could feel that I am the right man in the wrong party. So, today, we announce that I am distancing myself from the AAP and getting close to public,” Chadha said.
Chadha also expressed strong support for the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing the government’s “strong decisions” regarding national security and the economy.
As per reports, sources indicate that Chadha, Pathak, and Mittal are scheduled to meet BJP President Nitin Nabin shortly to formalize their membership.
AAP Hits Back: “Operation Lotus”
The Aam Aadmi Party reacted swiftly and sharply and senior leader Sanjay Singh addressed the media, accusing the BJP of orchestrating “Operation Lotus,” a term used by opposition parties to describe alleged poaching of their lawmakers.
Singh specifically targeted the defectors for “betraying” the mandate given to them by the people of Punjab.
“The people of Punjab should remember these seven names. They will never forgive those who have betrayed them. The party made Raghav Chadha an MLA and an MP, what did the people of Punjab not give him? How much love did they show by sending him to the Rajya Sabha? And now, he has gone into the lap of the BJP,” Singh remarked.
He defended the record of the Bhagwant Mann-led government in Punjab, stating that despite progress in education, healthcare, and employment, the BJP was actively working to destabilize the administration.
