Raghav Chadha and Six AAP MPs Join BJP in Major Political Shift

On April 24, 2026, Raghav Chadha, along with six other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MPs, resigned from AAP and announced their merger with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This development comes shortly after Chadha was removed as AAP’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha.

The MPs who joined Chadha in this move are Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Vikram Sahney and Swati Maliwal. According to Chadha, these seven MPs represent more than two-thirds of AAP’s Rajya Sabha contingent, allowing them to invoke constitutional provisions to merge with another party without triggering anti-defection law penalties.

Addressing a joint press conference, Chadha stated that AAP had “strayed from its founding principles” and described the party as “corrupt and compromised.” He emphasized that he was “the right man in the wrong party” and that the decision to join BJP was made after years of growing disillusionment with AAP’s direction.

The timing of this defection is significant as AAP prepares for upcoming elections in Punjab, where it currently holds power. The loss of these seven Rajya Sabha MPs could substantially weaken AAP’s parliamentary presence and influence national politics.

Chadha’s political journey with AAP began during the India Against Corruption movement. He rose to prominence as the party’s national spokesperson, was appointed national treasurer at age 26, elected from Rajinder Nagar in the 2020 Delhi polls, and served as vice-chairman of the Delhi Jal Board before being named AAP’s Rajya Sabha pick in 2022.

This realignment represents one of the most significant challenges to AAP’s internal cohesion since its inception and underscores the volatile nature of political alliances in India’s current electoral landscape.