Raghav Chadha to Join BJP With 6 AAP MPs Including Harbhajan Singh

In a major development, Raghav Chadha, the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) high-profile Rajya Sabha MP, has announced his defection to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The exit is accompanied by a coordinated rebellion, with Chadha claiming the support of a "big chunk" of the party's parliamentary wing.

Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, Chadha confirmed that two-thirds of the AAP's 10 Rajya Sabha members intend to merge with the BJP. By reaching the two-thirds threshold, the defecting group seeks to avoid disqualification under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, effectively handing the BJP a significant boost in the Upper House.

The list of defecting lawmakers includes several of the AAP's most prominent national figures:

Harbhajan Singh: Former cricketer and Punjab MP.

Swati Maliwal: Former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief.

Sandeep Pathak: The party's national general secretary and chief strategist.

Rajinder Gupta, Vikram Sahney, and Ashok Mittal.

Chadha, once considered the "trusted lieutenant" and "poster boy" of former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, framed his departure as a matter of conscience. He accused the AAP leadership of betraying the anti-corruption principles that defined the party's 2012 inception.

The relationship between Chadha and the AAP leadership had reportedly grown strained in recent weeks following a public demotion of his status within the party hierarchy.

Chadha's departure marks the end of a decade-long association that saw him rise from a young chartered accountant involved in campaign strategy to one of the youngest members of the Rajya Sabha at age 33.

During his tenure, Chadha held several high-stakes roles:

Strategy: Key architect of the 2015 and 2020 Delhi electoral sweeps.

Governance: Vice-Chairman of the Delhi Jal Board, overseeing water reforms.

Policy: Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, leading debates on taxation and fiscal transparency.