File Picture : ANI
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suffered a jolt as seven of its Rajya Sabha MPs, including Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal and Sandeep Pathak, quit the party, with Chadha saying all of them had merged with the Bharatiya Janata Party, asserting that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party had strayed from its principles, values and core morals.
Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikram Sahni and Swati Maliwal were the other four parliamentarians in the group of seven. Their move came as a surprise to many, as the exits were disclosed at a hurriedly called press conference at Constitution Club in central Delhi, after which AAP chief Kejriwal alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had betrayed the people of Punjab while state Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann termed the seven MPs “gaddar” (traitors).
The BJP extended a warm welcome to the MPs as party president Nitin Nabin offered them traditional sweets.
“Welcomed Raghav Chadha Ji, Sandeep Pathak Ji, and Ashok Mittal Ji to the BJP family at the Party HQ today. Also, best wishes to Harbhajan Singh Ji, Swati Maliwal Ji, Vikram Sahney Ji, and Rajinder Gupta ji to work under the dynamic leadership of PM Narendra Modi towards the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047,” Nabin said in a post on X shortly thereafter.
AAP leaders accused the saffron party of launching “Operation Lotus” to break away party MPs and of conspiring to stop the Mann government’s good work in Punjab.
Chadha said at the press conference that the seven MPs had merged with the BJP as the AAP was no longer honouring its founding principles.
Chadha said at the press conference that the seven MPs had merged with the BJP as the AAP was no longer honouring its founding principles.
“The AAP, that I nurtured with my blood and sweat and to which I gave 15 years of my youth, has completely strayed from its principles, values and core morals,” he said.
Chadha was recently removed as the deputy leader of the AAP in the Rajya Sabha and was replaced by Mittal.
“As per the Constitution, two-thirds of the total MPs of a party can merge with another party,” Chadha said, referring to the party’s strength of 10 MPs.
“They have already signed, and this morning we submitted all the required documentation, including signed letters and other formal paperwork, to the chairman of the Rajya Sabha,” Chadha said.
