In a huge setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), three party MPs - Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, and Ashok Mittal - on Friday announced a split in the party and said that two-thirds of the party's members in Rajya Sabha had decided to "merge with the BJP". "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," Raghav Chadha said at a press conference, which was also attended by Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal.
Answering the press conference, Raghav Chadha said that the AAP has 10 members in the Rajya Sabha, and seven of them have decided to leave the party and merge with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "There are 10 AAP MPs in the Rajya Sabha; more than 2/3rd of them are with us in this. They have signed, and this morning we submitted the signed letter and documents to the Rajya Sabha Chairman. Three of them are here before you. Besides us, there are Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, and Swati Maliwal."
Here's the complete list
- Raghav Chadha: A young and prominent face of AAP, Chadha is a Rajya Sabha MP and a former MLA from Delhi. A chartered accountant by profession, he played a key role in the party's financial and strategic matters. He is widely known for his clean image and strong oratory skills.
- Sandeep Pathak: He was considered a key pillar in AAP's organisational structure. He is a Rajya Sabha MP and served as the party's National General Secretary (Organisation). An IIT graduate, Pathak contributed significantly to the party's expansion and election strategies.
- Ashok Mittal: He is an educationist and industrialist, best known as the founder of Lovely Professional University. He was a Rajya Sabha MP from AAP and has now resigned from the party. Mittal is recognised for his contributions to the education sector and higher education reforms.
- Harbhajan Singh: Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh, known for his off-spin bowling, also joined politics after retiring from cricket. He served as a Rajya Sabha MP from AAP and is known for his aggressive and passionate persona both on and off the field.
- Rajinder Gupta: He is an industrialist and the founder of the Trident Group, which operates in textiles, paper, and chemicals. Born on January 2, 1959, he was awarded the Padma Shri in 2007 for his contributions to trade and industry. He became a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab on an AAP ticket in 2025 and has now resigned from the party.
- Vikramjit Singh Sahney: He is an industrialist and social worker. He heads the Sun Foundation and was serving as a Rajya Sabha MP from AAP before stepping down from the party.
- Swati Maliwal: She is a social activist and politician who previously served as the chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women. She has been an active voice on women's rights and public issues. Recently, she was also in the news due to a dispute with Arvind Kejriwal.
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