Raghav Chadha Resigns AAP: Pathak & Mittal Also join BJP

Raghav Chadha Resigns AAP: Raghav Chadha announced on Friday that he is leaving the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP after 15 years and will join the BJP with six other Rajya Sabha MPs. This decision comes just weeks after Chadha lost his position as Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha.

Raghav Chadha Resigns AAP: What Former AAP Member Had Said?

Raghav Chadha joins BJP news: ​At a press briefing in Delhi, Chadha, 37, said his party silenced him and called himself the "right man in the wrong party." He announced that he and his colleagues, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal, will join the BJP. Mittal had earlier replaced Chadha as Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha.

AAP Rajya Sabha Members: Who Others Have Joined BJP Besides Chadha?

​Chadha, who is a former chartered accountant and the youngest MP, also said that four other AAP parliamentarians—Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Vikram Sahney, and Swati Maliwal—will join the BJP. With this, seven out of AAP’s 10 Rajya Sabha MPs will move to the BJP, which is enough to avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law.

​Chadha, Pathak, and Mittal will meet BJP chief Nitin Nabin to be formally inducted into the party.

AAP the Raghav Chadha party was formed in 2012 and became a trusted aide to Kejriwal, who became Delhi’s Chief Minister in 2015 after the anti-corruption movement.

​Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh responded to the development, claiming that the BJP had brought in 'Operation Lotus 'to target the seven AAP MPs, including Chadha. He also said that the people of Punjab had been betrayed. He claimed the Kejriwal-led party deviated from its core principles.

Raghav Chadha News: AAP Deviated From Its Moral Principals, Says Chadha

According to Chadha, the AAP party under which he devoted his youth and was nurtured, despite great hardships, has deviated from its moral values and principles.

Now, this party does not work in the nation's interest but for its personal benefit. For the past few years, I could feel that I was the right man in the wrong party. So, today, we announce that I am distancing myself from the AAP and getting closer to the public," Chadha said.

Raghav Chadha Resigns AAP: Applauds Prime Minister Narendra Modi

​Chadha praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said the NDA government has made bold decisions, like fighting terrorism and helping India become one of the world’s top economies.

People have endorsed this leadership not once, not twice, but three times.

Representing other members he feels fortunate to become part of Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, and pledges to work hard for the nation.

To those who felt disappointed that, as an MP, I might not be able to raise the issues of ordinary citizens because my own party had silenced my voice, I want to assure them not to worry. I will continue to raise all your issues with the same commitment, enthusiasm and energy,” he said.

According to him, all of them left everything and got united to remove corruption from India, and laid the foundation of the party.

I was a founding member of this party, and perhaps no one knows it better than I do.

Raghav Chadha Resigns AAP: Adding further about AAP, Chadha said that the party they built in Delhi was established in Punjab with sincerity and commitment. There were efforts to expand it to other states.

Chadha further stated that the party they formed to fight corruption is now infested with corruption and compromised individuals.

​Rising Tussle Between Chadha and AAP

Once known as the youngest MP and a close aide to Kejriwal, played an important role in AAP’s 2022 Punjab Assembly win.

However, over the past year, his relationship with the party leadership became strained.

Leaders accused Chadha of softening his party’s stance in Parliament, alleging that he avoided aggressively targeting the Centre and PM Modi.

They cited his refusal to sign a notice seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and his absence from Opposition walkouts on key issues.

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Question Chadha’s Loyalty

​Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, Delhi Leader of Opposition Atishi and Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj publicly questioned his loyalty to the party line.

Mann also claimed that Chadha had drifted from core political issues, saying he was raising the issue of exorbitant samosa prices at airports.

Bharadwaj alleged he failed to raise Punjab-related concerns and remained absent during crucial moments, including Kejriwal’s arrest in the liquor policy case in 2024.

​Atishi also questioned Chadha’s absence during the protests following Kejriwal’s arrest, asking whether fear of the BJP had driven him to stay away in London. It culminated in Chadha's demotion from the Deputy Leader of the Rajya Sabha.

Chadha: ‘Ghayal Hoon Isliye Khatarnak Hoon’

Raghav Chadha Resigns AAP: ​Chadha responded to the criticism by calling all the allegations false and quoted a line from the film Dhurandhar: “ghayal hoon isiliye ghatak hoon”. A few days later, Chadha made his biggest move yet by leaving AAP with six other MPs and preparing to join the BJP.