Raghav Chadha quits AAP, a party he co-founded with Arvind Kejriwal, to join BJP

Raghav Chadha on Friday quit the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in a major political shift that could significantly weaken the party’s presence in the Rajya Sabha.

"Today, exercising the provisions of the Constitution of India, more than two-thirds of the AAP MPs in the Rajya Sabha have merged with the BJP. Seven MPs have signed the document, which was submitted to the Hon’ble Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. I, along with two other MPs, personally handed over the signed documents," Raghav Chadha wrote in a statement on X.

In a stinging assessment of his former party, Chadha said AAP had strayed from its founding principles. “Purane AAP wohi AAP nahi rahi,” he said, describing the outfit as “corrupt and compromised,” and adding, “I was a right man in a wrong party.”


Also Read: AAP removes Raghav Chadha as Deputy Leader of Rajya Sabha

The rift had been building. Earlier this month, Chadha was removed as AAP’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, signalling a clear breakdown in ties with the party leadership.

The move now appears to have triggered a wider realignment within AAP’s parliamentary ranks. Over two-thirds of the party’s Rajya Sabha MPs — around seven members — are reportedly set to back Chadha’s switch to the BJP. Among those joining are Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, former cricketer Harbhajan Singh, and Rajinder Gupta.

Also Read: AAP splits: Who are leaving Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party along with Raghav Chadha?

Chadha, once among AAP’s most prominent young leaders and a key face of its national ambitions, had been central to the party’s outreach beyond Delhi and Punjab. His exit — coupled with the likely defection of a majority of its Upper House MPs — points to deepening fault lines within the party.

For the BJP, the development represents a significant political gain, strengthening its numbers and influence in the Rajya Sabha while dealing a blow to a key opposition player.

The transition is expected to unfold in the coming days, with formal announcements likely as the leaders complete the process of joining the BJP.

AAP slams BJP's Operation Lotus

Aam Admi Party's national spokesperson Sanjay Singh slammed the BJP on Friday after 7 AAP MPs defected to the saffron party earlier in the day.

“The Bharatiya Janata Party, under Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, has launched ‘Operation Lotus’, which is being described as a game of cheap politics and an attempt to obstruct the good work of the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab on a large scale,” AAP MP Sanjay Singh said.

AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh addressed a press meet after two-thirds of AAP MPs in the Rajya Sabha announce their merger with the BJP.

"7 MPs were entrusted with big posts and responsibilities. They stabbed Punjab in the back," Singh said.