NEW DELHI: In a significant blow to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), seven of its ten Rajya Sabha members, including prominent faces like Raghav Chadha and former international cricketer Harbhajan Singh, switched allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday. The mass defection comes at a critical juncture for AAP, which governs Punjab, as the state prepares for assembly elections next year.
Exodus of Key Figures
The defectors include Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Swati Maliwal, and Rajendra Gupta, apart from Chadha and Harbhajan. The move is seen as a jolt to AAP, which is already grappling with internal dissent and legal challenges faced by its national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal.
Anti-Defection Law Implications
Raghav Chadha, who led the group, invoked the anti-defection law's provisions, stating that two-thirds of AAP's Rajya Sabha members had decided to merge with the BJP. This meets the threshold required for a merger without attracting disqualification. Chadha submitted a letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan earlier in the day, formalizing the merger.
Accusations of Betrayal
Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and AAP's Rajya Sabha leader Sanjay Singh accused the defectors of betrayal. However, Chadha countered by alleging that AAP had strayed from its founding principles and become a party of the corrupt and compromised. "AAP no longer works in national interest but for personal gain," he said, adding that more AAP leaders were likely to leave.
BJP's Growing Strength
The defection boosts BJP's strength in the Rajya Sabha to 113, while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) tally rises to 142, comfortably above the majority mark of 125. In Punjab, BJP now holds six of the seven Rajya Sabha seats, despite winning only two assembly seats in the state.
Motivations and Background
Among the defectors, Ashok Mittal, founder of Lovely Professional University, and Vikramjit Singh Sahney of Sun Group are prominent businessmen. Their premises were recently raided by the Enforcement Directorate. Sandeep Pathak, a former IIT faculty member and key strategist behind AAP's 2022 Punjab victory, refrained from criticizing Kejriwal but cited "circumstances" for his decision. Harbhajan Singh had largely stayed away from parliamentary proceedings.
Impact on AAP
The mass crossover highlights AAP's vulnerability and ideological ambiguity, critics say. The party's nomination of businessmen with limited political roots has often drawn criticism. Meanwhile, AAP's remaining Rajya Sabha members, including N.D. Gupta and Balbir Seechewal, continue to be with the party. Kejriwal, who had been staying at Mittal's official residence, moved to his own allocated house on Friday.
