New Delhi, April 25, 2026 — In a stunning blow to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), senior leader Raghav Chadha and six other Rajya Sabha MPs announced their decision to quit the party and merge with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday, April 24, 2026. The move, described by Chadha as invoking constitutional provisions for a party merger, has left AAP with just three Rajya Sabha members and raised serious concerns about further defections in its strongholds of Delhi and Punjab.
The Defectors and the Merger
The seven MPs who have broken away constitute two-thirds of AAP’s 10-member strength in the Rajya Sabha. This numerical threshold is significant as it shields them from disqualification under the anti-defection law (Tenth Schedule of the Constitution), which permits mergers if at least two-thirds of a party’s legislators agree
The seven MPs are:
- Raghav Chadha (Punjab)
- Sandeep Pathak (Punjab)
- Ashok Kumar Mittal (Punjab)
- Harbhajan Singh (former cricketer, Punjab)
- Swati Maliwal (Delhi)
- Rajinder Gupta (Punjab)
- Vikramjit Singh Sahney (Punjab)
Six of the seven are from Punjab, while Swati Maliwal represents Delhi. Chadha, along with Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal, addressed a press conference announcing the decision. Later in the evening, they visited the BJP headquarters and met BJP National President Nitin Gadkari (also referred to as Nitin Nabin in some reports)
Reasons Cited by the Rebels
Raghav Chadha stated that AAP had deviated from its founding principles of honest politics and anti-corruption. He accused the party leadership of attempting to silence dissenting voices and straying from its core values. The group submitted a formal letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar (or CP Radhakrishnan as per some updates) informing him of the merger.
The rebellion comes days after AAP removed Chadha from his post as Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, an action widely seen as the final trigger for the exodus
AAP’s Reaction and Kejriwal’s Response
AAP has strongly condemned the move, terming it “Operation Lotus” — a reference to alleged BJP strategies to engineer defections. Party leaders, including Sanjay Singh, accused the BJP of misusing central agencies and poaching MPs.
Arvind Kejriwal, AAP National Convener and former Delhi Chief Minister, reacted sharply on X (formerly Twitter): “BJP ne phir kiya Punjabiyon ke saath dhakka” (The BJP has once again betrayed Punjabis). He urged people of Punjab to remember the names of the seven MPs
he party fears this could lead to more instability, particularly ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, where AAP holds power under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Political Implications
- In Rajya Sabha: AAP’s strength drops drastically from 10 to 3, severely weakening its voice in the Upper House.
- Punjab and Delhi: With six Punjab MPs defecting, the party faces a major organisational challenge in the state. Concerns are also rising about potential ripples in the Delhi unit.
- Broader Impact: This is one of the largest group exits from AAP since its rise in 2012–2015 and highlights deepening internal rifts within what was once seen as a tightly-knit outfit.
Political analysts view this as a significant boost for the BJP in Parliament and a major setback for AAP’s national ambitions. The development comes amid ongoing legal and political challenges faced by AAP leadership.
As the story unfolds, further defections or organisational changes in AAP remain a distinct possibility. The coming days will be critical for Kejriwal to stabilise his party.