The Aam Aadmi Party suffered a significant setback when its prominent leader in Karnataka, Bhaskar Rao, joined the BJP, just ahead of the assembly elections this year. This move came less than a year after Rao had joined AAP as its Karnataka vice-president and following his exit, he criticized his former party, accusing it of lacking transparency. According to Rao, the party collected funds in the name of anti-corruption and fighting the BJP, but failed to use them for these purposes. He also expressed discomfort after the arrest of Manish Sisodia and claimed that the party was being run by a select few individuals. Rao further asserted that if the party leaders were innocent, they should provide evidence in court, as several of them were being jailed one after another.