In a dramatic political blow to the Aam Aadmi Party, Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, along with other senior party leaders, formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday, prompting a sharp reaction from Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Reacting to the dramatic split, Amit Shah said he had not yet watched the press conference in full but acknowledged that the departing AAP MPs had cited several reasons for leaving the party.
“Maine inka press conference dekha nahi hai. Inhone kaafi saare kaaran bhi diye hain,” Shah said while addressing a roadshow in West Bengal during the ongoing Assembly election campaign.
His comments came shortly after Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal arrived at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi and formally joined the party in the presence of BJP national president Nitin Nabin.
Raghav Chadha Announces Split, Says AAP Has Lost Its Original Mission
Addressing a press conference before joining the BJP, Raghav Chadha said that two-thirds of AAP’s Rajya Sabha members had decided to merge with the BJP under constitutional provisions.
“We have decided that we, the 2/3rd members belonging to the AAP in Rajya Sabha, exercise the provisions of the Constitution of India and merge ourselves with the BJP,” Chadha announced.
He said the decision was driven by what he described as AAP’s ideological collapse and departure from the anti-corruption values on which it was founded.
“The AAP that I nurtured with my blood for 15 years has deviated from its path. Now it is working not for the welfare of the country but for its own personal gains,” Chadha said.
The emotional statement signalled a decisive break between Chadha and the leadership he once helped build.
‘Party Is in Hands of Corrupt People’: Chadha Launches Fierce Attack on AAP
In a scathing attack on the party’s leadership, Chadha said AAP had abandoned the mission with which it was created and had fallen into the control of “corrupt and compromised individuals.”
“The party, which was formed with a pledge to end corruption, is now deeply trapped in the hands of corrupt and compromised individuals,” he said.
He further added that many leaders who had joined AAP to serve the nation were now leaving because the party no longer reflected its founding values.
“Every patriotic person who joined the Aam Aadmi Party to serve the nation has either already left or is leaving the party one by one,” Chadha said.
The remarks are likely to deepen the political crisis within AAP, as they strike directly at the moral and ideological identity the party built over the years.
High-Profile Leaders Join BJP Alongside Chadha
Raghav Chadha also highlighted that several well-known personalities had joined him in quitting AAP, including leaders from fields such as education, social work and sports.
He said the leaders leaving the party included “a world-class cricketer, a Padma Shri awardee, and social activists,” all of whom had once united under the vision of building a corruption-free India.
The statement was widely interpreted as a reference to high-profile former AAP members who had played important roles in the party’s expansion.
This gives the BJP not only a numerical gain in Parliament but also symbolic political momentum.
Amit Shah Gains Political Ammunition as AAP Faces Major Blow
The timing of the defections gives Amit Shah and the BJP a major political advantage, especially as the party is fighting to expand its influence in states where AAP has tried to establish itself.
By welcoming senior AAP leaders into the BJP fold, the party can now portray itself as the preferred destination for leaders disillusioned with Kejriwal’s leadership.
For AAP, however, the exits raise difficult questions about internal dissent and the future of its national ambitions.
The loss of senior Rajya Sabha MPs could weaken the party’s influence in Parliament while handing the BJP fresh momentum ahead of future electoral battles.
Why did Raghav Chadha leave AAP?
Raghav Chadha said he left because AAP had deviated from its anti-corruption mission and was working for personal gains instead of national welfare.
Who joined BJP with Raghav Chadha?
Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal formally joined the BJP along with Raghav Chadha.
What did Amit Shah say on the AAP split?
Amit Shah said he had not watched the full press conference but noted that the leaders had given several reasons for leaving AAP.
Why is this a major setback for AAP?
The exit of senior Rajya Sabha MPs weakens AAP’s parliamentary strength and damages its political image.
