Fastest-growing startup implodes: Raghav Chadha leads Rajya Sabha exodus, AAP faces future tense – THE LOCAL REPORT ARTICLES
New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal-led party suffered one of its biggest internal shocks on Friday as Raghav ChadhaOnce a rising star of the BJP and the blue-eyed boy of Kejriwal, he led a massive exodus from the party to the BJP.Raghav Chadha's dissent erupted into a full-blown rebellion. Chadha did not just walk away. He took with him much of the strength of the House of Representatives, dragging the party into one of its worst crises since its founding in 2012.'ghayal' Raghav Chadha rebellion leads to AAP 'ghayal'.Cracks that had long been hidden beneath the surface suddenly came to light when Chadha was removed as deputy leader of the upper house, the post being given to Ashok Mittal, who has now joined the rebellion.
The fastest-growing political startup, which formed three consecutive governments in Delhi, two of them with historic mandates, and later came to power in Punjab just 15 years after its formation, is now facing internal dissent. Its leaders openly questioned "Kejriwal's style of politics" and, in a rebellious tone, accused him of straying from "honest politics".What's next for AAP?
There are several high-profile figures in the exodus, including Swati Maliwal, who had already quit the party after alleging physical assault by Bibhav Kumar at the then chief minister Kejriwal's residence in 2024.Joining the splinter group are cricketer-turned-Union member Harbhajan Singh, as well as Sandeep Pathak, Rajinder Gupta and Vikramjit Singh Sahney, names that lend weight and visibility to the insurgency.
Standing in front of the media, Chadha delivered a poignant farewell shot, describing himself as "the right man in the wrong party" before officially switching sides. bjp Its headquarters is in New Delhi.
But the real hit is in the numbers. In a stunning show of strength, six more AAP MPs sided with Chadha, taking the party's tally to seven out of 10 MPs in the Lok Sabha. For the AAP, this was more than a rebellion; it almost saw its seat in the Upper House significantly reduced.Announcing the move, Chadha said two-thirds of the AAP members of the Lok Sabha have decided to merge with the BJP."We have decided that we, the 2/3 members of AAP who are members of the Union House, will implement the provisions of the Constitution of India and merge with the BJP," he said at a press conference at the Constitution Club along with Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal.Explaining his decision, Chadha accused the party of straying from its founding ideals.He said: "The AAP, for which I have devoted my blood, sweat and 15 years of youth, has strayed from its principles, values and core morals. Now this party is not for the national interest, but for personal interests… In the past few years, I have felt that I was the right person for the wrong party. So, today, we announce that I will distance myself from the AAP and stay close to the public."
Kejriwal, meanwhile, immediately reacted by suggesting that the move was orchestrated by the BJP and said: "The BJP has once again betrayed the people of Punjab."
The irony cannot be ignored. The party that was born out of Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign, which once promised to upend "traditional" politics with a "new politics" model, now finds itself accused by its own leaders of abandoning those ideals.Outsiders who challenged the system are now battling a revolt from within that threatens to shake its foundations.
Not long ago, the crushing defeat in Delhi hit the Kejriwal Brigade in the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party, severely weakening the national status and influence of the AAP.AAP, which can only govern Punjab under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and has limited seats in Parliament, is already at a disadvantage. Friday's rebellion further weakened its position in the federal chamber and exacerbated the crisis.In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, AAP won only 3 seats in Punjab. Now, according to the revised Union House vote count, the AAP is left with a total of just six MPs to voice its concerns in Parliament.
The double whammy of 2025 and 2026, first the defeat in Delhi and now this massive exodus, has pushed the AAP into perhaps its most vulnerable phase yet.AAP, which has emerged on the wave of anti-corruption, has positioned itself as a disruptor, challenging the Center led by Manmohan Singh and the Congress establishment in Delhi led by long-time chief minister Sheila Dikshit.In its first electoral battle, AAP shocked the political class. Kejriwal ousted Sheila Dikshit, ending her 15-year rule and defeated her in the New Delhi constituency. What followed was a sharp rise – 67 out of 70 seats in 2015 and 62 in 2020.But by 2025, the situation has reversed. The Bharatiya Janata Party made a strong return to Delhi after more than two decades of inactivity, cutting the AAP's tally dangerously to 22 seats and appointing Rekha Gupta as chief minister.
After announcing his exit, Chadha perfectly positioned himself in the BJP narrative against his former boss Kejriwal, accusing the AAP of putting "personal interests" ahead of "national interest". His departure and the scale of support behind him have fueled the accusations.Over the years, AAP's top leadership, including Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singhand Satyendra Jain are facing scrutiny from agencies including ED and CBI. Although some cases were later weakened in court, the jail sentences and investigations still tarnished the party's anti-corruption image.Interestingly, Chadha has largely avoided these controversies. Even while Kejriwal was in jail and later released, he maintained a noticeable distance, fueling speculation of a widening internal rift.After Raghav Chadha and other rebel MPs quit am admi partyUnion Congress leader Sanjay Singh has spearheaded a blistering attack on the BJP, alleging that there are concerted efforts by the party through central agencies like ED and CBI to weaken and destabilize the party.
Reacting strongly to the development, Singh said, "The BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have started 'Operation Lotus' to stop the good work of the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab. 7 AAP Rajya Sabha MPs are joining the BJP. People of Punjab should remember these 7 names. These 'traitors' of Punjab will never be forgiven."
The focus now shifts to Punjab.Chadha played a key role in AAP's landslide victory in 2022, helping the party jump from 20 seats in 2017 to 92 of 117 seats. This victory ousted the Congress government led by Charanjit Singh Channi and established the AAP's second formal government after Delhi.
Now, with Chadha and several Congress MPs with ties to Punjab exiting, cracks may be starting to show.Meanwhile, Chief Minister and Kejriwal loyalist Bhagwant Mann has hit back hard, calling the outgoing leaders "traitors" and dismissing their prospects in the BJP. He also accused the BJP of trying to expand its influence in Punjab through defections.However, the political landscape is changing. The competition is likely to intensify as the Congress remains the main opposition and the BJP now has the support of a former AAP face.There is a certain political irony in this.Just as AAP once rose by expelling Congress, from Delhi in 2013 to Punjab in 2022, the BJP has now toppled AAP in Delhi.The question now remains: Will Punjab be the next target for the BJP?
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