Desk Correspondent , New Delhi — In a significant blow to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), seven Rajya Sabha members, including prominent faces like Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, and Ashok Mittal, resigned from the party on Friday to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The defectors formalized the split during a press conference in the presence of BJP leader Nitin Nabin, marking a major shift in the political landscape ahead of upcoming state elections. This mass exit, comprising six MPs from Punjab and one from Delhi has immediately boosted the BJP’s strength in the Upper House while leaving the AAP leadership to manage a brewing organizational crisis.

The rebellion was reportedly fueled by long-standing internal disenchantment regarding party governance and a perceived shift in leadership dynamics. Key figures like Sandeep Pathak, formerly a top election strategist, expressed frustration over being sidelined by a new circle of aides around Arvind Kejriwal. Furthermore, lawmakers cited a lack of direction within the parliamentary party and shared grievances regarding the functioning of the AAP government in Punjab. Efforts by a group of legislators to voice these concerns to Kejriwal in 2024 allegedly led to the further isolation of Raghav Chadha, who saw his party influence and official perks stripped away before his eventual exit.

While the BJP views these high-profile inductions as a strategic victory to bolster its image and parliamentary numbers, the long-term impact on Punjab’s electoral politics remains uncertain. Analysts and rival political leaders suggest that while the defections highlight the AAP’s internal fractures, the defectors lack a significant independent voter base in Punjab, where the electorate is traditionally hostile toward "turncoat" politicians. Nevertheless, the move provides the BJP with immediate momentum as it prepares for the second phase of elections in West Bengal and looks to consolidate its footprint in northern India.