The AAP hit back strongly, with senior leader Sanjay Singh accusing Chadha of deceiving the party and siding with the BJP. Party chief Arvind Kejriwal also criticised the development, calling it a betrayal of the people of Punjab and warning of political consequences.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi
pril 24, 2026: In a major political development, senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha on Friday announced his decision to quit the party and join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claiming that nearly two-thirds of AAP’s Rajya Sabha MPs will merge with the ruling party.
Speaking at a press conference, Chadha said the decision had already been formalised. “We have signed and sent the proposal to merge with the BJP to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha,” he said, adding that the move complies with provisions of the anti-defection law.
‘Right Person in the Wrong Party’
Chadha struck a critical tone against his former party, saying AAP had strayed from its founding ideals.
“I gave 15 years of my life to this party. Today, the AAP has moved away from honest politics. I am the right person in the wrong party,” he said.
He added that the party that once rose to power on an anti-corruption plank had now become “corrupt and compromised.”
“I do not want to be part of wrongdoing. I had two options — either leave politics or do what is right. I have chosen the latter,” he said.
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Names of Leaders Joining BJP
Chadha listed several Rajya Sabha MPs who, he claimed, would join him in the merger. These include Harbhajan Singh, Swati Maliwal, Rajinder Gupta, Vikram Sahney, Ashok Mittal, and Sandeep Pathak.
Sandeep Pathak, who was present alongside Chadha, said he had been contemplating leaving the party for the past six to seven months, indicating that internal dissatisfaction had been building for some time.
On Rift with AAP Leadership
Addressing recent tensions within the party, Chadha referred to his removal as AAP’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha earlier this month.
He described the move as part of a “scripted and coordinated campaign” against him. “Every lie will be exposed, and every question will be answered,” he said, reiterating that allegations made against him by the party were baseless.
AAP had accused Chadha of distancing himself from opposition protests, refusing to back key parliamentary moves, and raising “trivial issues” in the House — charges he strongly denied.
VIDEO | Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) says, “We, two-thirds of the Members of Parliament belonging to the Aam Aadmi Party in the Rajya Sabha, will exercise the provisions of the Constitution of India and merge with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
(Full… pic.twitter.com/YBQOex17CD
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 24, 2026
AAP Responds Sharply
Minutes after Chadha’s announcement, AAP leaders addressed the media and accused him of betrayal.
Senior leader Sanjay Singh said, “The party made him an MP, and he has chosen to go into the BJP’s lap. The people of Punjab will remember this.”
Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, in a brief reaction, said, “The BJP has once again betrayed the Punjabis.”
Political and Legal Implications
Chadha emphasised that the merger would not attract disqualification under the anti-defection law, which permits such a move if at least two-thirds of a party’s legislators agree.
If the numbers claimed by Chadha hold, the shift could significantly weaken AAP’s presence in the Rajya Sabha, leaving it with only a handful of MPs.
Sources suggest Chadha could be inducted into the Union Cabinet after formally joining the BJP, although no official confirmation has been made.
A founding member of AAP since 2012 and a close aide of Kejriwal, Chadha played a key role in the party’s expansion in Delhi and Punjab. His exit — along with a large section of its parliamentary wing — marks one of the most significant political setbacks for the party in recent years.
