Patna: Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has announced his resignation from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and claimed that he, along with six other AAP Rajya Sabha MPs, will be joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The development was disclosed at a press conference in Delhi on Friday.
Chadha said the decision comes after what he described as the party’s departure from its founding principles. He alleged that AAP is no longer working in the national interest and has instead shifted focus towards “private gains”. He added that he was “distancing himself from AAP and moving closer to the people”, recalling his long association of nearly 15 years with the party’s expansion in Delhi, Punjab and other states.
He also claimed that more than two-thirds of AAP’s Rajya Sabha MPs were supporting his move, naming leaders including Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta and Swati Maliwal.
The announcement triggered sharp political reactions in Bihar, with Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Tejashwi Yadav suggesting that the alleged defections were driven by “greed or fear”. He said some leaders “compromise and eventually join the BJP”, without offering further evidence.
The AAP, however, rejected the claims. Party spokesperson Anurag Dhanda said the developments reflected the “true character” of those involved. He praised the performance of the party’s government in Punjab under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and suggested that opposition parties were unable to challenge AAP electorally in the state.
Dhanda also alleged that enforcement actions had been used to pressure political figures, referring to a recent raid by the Enforcement Directorate on the premises of businessman Ashok Mittal. He claimed such actions were intended as a warning to others.
