Mass Exits Shake AAP as 7 Rajya Sabha MPs Join BJP

In a dramatic political development, seven Rajya Sabha MPs, including six hailing from Punjab, have parted ways with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to merge with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This crucial shift comes at a critical juncture as AAP gears up for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, signaling potential vulnerabilities within its leadership.

The departures include prominent figures such as Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak, alongside five others—Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Swati Maliwal, Rajinder Gupta, and Vikram Sawhney. This unexpected exodus provides a potent talking point for opposition parties eager to criticize the current AAP leadership under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Mann, defending his administration, dubbed the defectors as 'gaddars' or traitors and alleged that the BJP orchestrated the move to destabilize AAP because of its pro-Punjab policies. He downplayed the impact, asserting that those who left are not mass leaders, implying limited electoral influence. Meanwhile, opposition parties wasted no time in dubbing the episode as evidence of an internal crisis within AAP.

(With inputs from agencies.)