Kejriwal Wanted To Meet Chadha & 6 Other AAP MPs, But They Exit Before Talks

The AAP has been rocked by a major political setback after seven of its MPs resigned and joined the BJP, dealing a blow to the party's leadership and unity.

Sources with direct knowledge of the developments told NDTV that AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal had attempted to placate discontent within the party by offering assurances to the dissenting MPs. He is understood to have told at least five of the six leaders that they would be re-nominated in the next term, provided they were willing to step down from their current posts if they were unhappy for any reason.

The proposal was reportedly intended to address internal grievances and prevent an exodus. Kejriwal had invited the MPs to his residence on Friday evening for discussions.

However, the meeting never took place, as the leaders publicly announced their resignation from the party earlier that day. Unbeknown to him, the MPs had already resolved to quit the AAP and align themselves with the BJP as early as Thursday morning.

Among those who exited are prominent figures including Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal and Sandeep Pathak, along with Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Vikram Sahni and Swati Maliwal. Chadha, who has emerged as the most vocal among the group, stated that all seven MPs had formally merged with the BJP, citing disillusionment with the AAP's direction.

Sources indicate that, prior to Kejriwal's outreach, the MPs had not coordinated their resignations collectively, though each had independently decided to leave. The idea of a joint move reportedly gained momentum after Chadha was replaced by Ashok Kumar Mittal as the Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha.

Following this development, Chadha is said to have initiated discussions with other MPs, ultimately leading to a coordinated exit. Notably, Mittal himself was among those who later left the party.

Also, Kejriwal had moved into a new residence on the same day, after spending a year living in accommodation owned by Mittal, the report said.

The BJP welcomed the defecting MPs warmly, with party president Nitin Nabin greeting them and offering traditional sweets. The development has further intensified political tensions between the two parties.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal has slammed the BJP over the current development saying, it "has once again betrayed Punjabis."

In a scathing attack, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday accused the saffron party of harboring deep-seated "hatred" toward Punjab and its people. Speaking with media colleagues in the state capital, the Chief Minister framed the current political friction as a vengeful reaction by the BJP to its repeated electoral losses in the state.