A day after leaving the Aam Aadmi Party and joining the Bharatiya Janata Party, Raghav Chadha intensified the criticism of his former party, stating that his decision was driven by “disgust” rather than fear or pressure. He rejected claims that the move was compelled, asserting that he and others left after becoming deeply disillusioned with the party’s direction and internal functioning.
In his statement, Chadha argued that the AAP no longer provides space for individuals he described as honest and hardworking, claiming that many of those who contributed to building the party have either already left or are in the process of doing so. He alleged that the party had deviated significantly from its founding values and was now moving in a direction that many could no longer support.
He further claimed that the leadership of the party had fallen into what he described as “compromised hands,” suggesting that this perception was a key reason why multiple MPs chose to leave together rather than individually. Emphasising the scale of the decision, he pointed out that seven MPs acted collectively, indicating a shared concern about the party’s trajectory.
Reflecting on his own political journey, Chadha said he had felt increasingly out of place within the party in recent years, describing himself as “the right man in the wrong party.” He added that he was not part of the inner leadership circle because he did not align with what he implied were questionable practices within the organisation. According to him, the choice was between exiting politics altogether or continuing in a different political environment that he believed would allow for constructive engagement.
The development comes after Chadha, along with six other Rajya Sabha MPs — Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney, and Swati Maliwal — resigned from the AAP and merged with the BJP. The group submitted the required documents to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, invoking provisions under the anti-defection law that allow a merger if at least two-thirds of a party’s MPs agree. With seven out of ten MPs backing the move, the threshold was met, enabling them to retain their membership in the Upper House.
The exit has triggered a strong reaction from AAP leaders, including Sanjay Singh, who has sought the disqualification of some of the defecting MPs. Chadha’s remarks are expected to further escalate the political confrontation, shifting the focus from the mechanics of the merger to the underlying reasons cited by those who chose to leave.
