BJP rewards three ex-AAP MPs; four await clarity
Raghav Chadha quits AAP, joins BJP; four expected soon
AAP Reels from Massive Defection Drama: Chadha Leads Seven MPs to BJP in Stunning Betrayal
In a bombshell that’s left Delhi’s political circles reeling, Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha dropped the mic on Friday, announcing his dramatic exit from Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP after 15 loyal years. The 37-year-old firebrand didn’t just walk away—he’s dragging six other parliamentarians with him straight into the BJP’s welcoming arms. It’s the kind of plot twist that feels scripted for a Bollywood thriller, complete with accusations, signed letters, and a looming legal showdown.
Chadha, flanked by fellow Rajya Sabha MPs Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal, laid it all out at a packed presser. He declared that he, Pathak, and Mittal were officially jumping ship to the saffron camp. Tagging along, he claimed, were four heavyweights: cricketer-turned-politico Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Vikram Sahney, and former Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal. Seven AAP MPs in total, poised to flip the script on Kejriwal’s once-unshakable Aam Aadmi Party. Chadha’s eyes gleamed with defiance as he praised PM Modi and slammed his old party for “silencing” him. Ouch.
But here’s the hitch that’s fueling the frenzy: only Chadha, Pathak, and Mittal showed up for the BJP induction ceremony, their saffron scarves a stark visual gut-punch to AAP loyalists. The other four were no-shows at both Chadha’s briefing and the formal switch. Vikram Sahney later piped up, confirming he’d quit AAP and joined BJP—damage control, perhaps? Swati Maliwal echoed the exit but coyly dodged her next move, leaving everyone guessing. Harbhajan and Gupta? Radio silence so far. Chadha waved signed consent letters from all seven, vowing to notify parliamentary authorities soon. Bold claim, but the empty chairs spoke louder.
This isn’t some random rift—it’s been brewing. Chadha’s ouster as AAP’s Rajya Sabha Deputy Leader weeks ago lit the fuse. Party bigwigs accused him of straying from the line, while he fired back that AAP had muzzled his voice. The irony? Mittal, who slid into Chadha’s old deputy spot, defected right alongside him. Talk about a double-cross that stings.
If all seven make it official, AAP’s Rajya Sabha fortress crumbles. The party clings to 10 seats now; losing seven shreds that to three, smashing the two-thirds threshold under the anti-defection law. No disqualification drama—just a near-total wipeout. Picture Kejriwal’s war room: panic, finger-pointing, the air thick with “how did we miss this?”
AAP isn’t taking it lying down. Sources say ND Gupta, one of the three holdouts, is firing off a letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan, demanding anti-defection action against Chadha, Pathak, and Mittal. Legal eagles are circling; expect courtrooms to buzz as signatures get scrutinized and loyalties dissected.
For AAP, born from anti-corruption fire in 2012, this feels like poetic tragedy. From Anna Hazare’s streets to Delhi’s throne, Kejriwal built an empire on “outsider” purity. Now, internal rot—or opportunism?—threatens to unravel it. Chadha, once the poster boy with his sharp suits and sharper debates, embodies the shift. Young, ambitious, he’s betting on BJP’s machine for a bigger stage. Harbhajan brings star power; Maliwal, street cred from her wrestler protests. It’s a dream team for BJP, bolstering their Upper House numbers ahead of crunch battles.
Delhi whispers of deeper woes: funding freezes, ED raids, Kejriwal’s jail stints wearing down morale. Is this the death knell, or a painful purge? For voters, it’s disillusionment redux—same old musical chairs. Yet in India’s masala politics, today’s villains are tomorrow’s heroes. Chadha’s gamble could catapult him; AAP might rebound fiercer. As the dust settles, one truth endures: loyalty’s a luxury when power’s at stake.