Last Updated on April 24, 2026 6:48 pm by BIZNAMA NEWS
AMN / NEW DELHI
In a major setback for the Aam Aadmi Party, seven of its Rajya Sabha members, including Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal, announced their resignation from the party on Friday, indicating their intention to align with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Addressing a joint press conference, Chadha, accompanied by Pathak and Mittal, stated that more than two-thirds of AAP’s representation in the Rajya Sabha has broken away and will function as a separate faction before formally joining the BJP. He further revealed that fellow MPs Harbhajan Singh and Swati Maliwal are also set to exit the party.
Expressing deep dissatisfaction, Chadha said the party he helped build over 15 years has “drifted away from its founding principles, values and core ideals.” He recently lost his position as deputy leader of AAP in the Upper House, a role that was handed over to Mittal.
“In the Rajya Sabha, AAP has 10 MPs, and more than two-thirds are now part of this initiative. All necessary documents, including signed letters, have been submitted to the Chairman,” Chadha told reporters.
Taking aim at the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, he alleged that the party is no longer driven by public interest but by internal priorities. “For some time now, I have felt like the right person in the wrong party. Today, I choose to step away and reconnect with the people,” he added.
Echoing similar sentiments, Pathak said the decision was not easy. “I spent a decade with this party and never imagined this day would come, but the circumstances have compelled me to move on,” he said.
The political development comes days after the Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at business establishments linked to Mittal in Punjab on April 15 as part of an investigation under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).