- AAP faces Rajya Sabha MP defections, prompting internal strategy sessions.
- Leaders discuss implications and formal complaint against defectors.
- Party plans to petition Chairman for action under anti-defection law.
- Alleged exodus follows earlier internal divisions and leadership changes.
New Delhi: The political storm within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) intensified on Friday after claims that two-thirds of its Rajya Sabha MPs, led by Raghav Chadha, have quit the party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Amid the growing crisi, AAP has begun working on a fresh strategy, with top leaders holding internal consultations to assess the fallout.
Late Friday night, senior party leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia met AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal at his residence soon after returning from Gujarat. Sisodia had been in Rajkot campaigning for the party in municipal elections. According to ANI, party sources said he went directly from the airport to Kejriwal’s residence, where the two leaders held discussions for over half an hour.
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Party Mulls Legal Route as Rift Widens
During the meeting, the leaders deliberated on the internal split, its implications, and the party’s next course of action. AAP is now preparing to escalate the matter formally by writing to the Rajya Sabha Chairman.
Sources indicated that the party’s chief whip in the Upper House, ND Gupta, will submit a letter seeking action against Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal under the anti-defection law. These three leaders have publicly joined the BJP, while the remaining MPs have not been seen doing so in public so far. The complaint will specifically address those who were present at the BJP office.
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Demand for Disqualification Gains Momentum
Earlier, senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh had also announced plans to write to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, invoking the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which deals with disqualification on grounds of defection.
Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal formally joined the BJP on April 24. Chadha claimed that more than two-thirds of AAP’s Rajya Sabha MPs have now merged with the BJP. Alongside him, Ashok Kumar Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Vikramjit Singh Sahney and Swati Maliwal have decided to leave AAP.
The party’s internal rift had been brewing for weeks and became more visible after Chadha was removed as deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, signalling deepening divisions within its top ranks.
