Raghav Chadha formally joined the BJP on April 24, marking a major split in the Arvind Kejriwal-led party and a significant boost to the BJP’s numbers in the Upper House.
Also read: Raghav Chadha revolt jolts AAP, raises questions on Kejriwal’s leadership and party’s future
Alongside Chadha, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Swati Maliwal, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal have quit AAP to join the ruling party in the Centre.
The seven MPs had petitioned the Rajya Sabha Chairman to be treated as BJP MPs after the merger, which has now been accepted.
The AAP on Sunday moved a petition before the RS Chairman seeking the termination of the membership of the seven MPs, who had switched parties. MP Sanjay Singh said he has submitted a petition to Chairman Radhakrishnan seeking the disqualification of all seven MPs in the Upper House, who recently quit the AAP and announced their merger with the BJP.
Addressing a press conference last week, Raghav Chadha said, “We have decided that we, the two-thirds members belonging to AAP in the Rajya Sabha, will exercise provisions of the Constitution of India and merge ourselves with the BJP.”
“The Aam Aadmi Party, which I nurtured with my blood and sweat and to which I dedicated 15 years of my youth, has now completely deviated from its principles, values, and core morals. The party is no longer working in the national interest but is instead driven by personal gain,” Chadha said.
He further added, “Many of you have been telling me this for the past few years, and I too have come to realise that I am the right man in the wrong party. Therefore, today I announce that I am distancing myself from the AAP and going to the people.”
Earlier on Saturday, Chadha alleged that AAP has deviated from its core principles and no longer provides space for honest workers.
“Today, every true patriot who nurtured the Aam Aadmi Party with their blood and sweat and joined it with great expectations has either left the Aam Aadmi Party or is leaving it,” he said, adding that every honest and hardworking person feels that there is no longer room for work in the Aam Aadmi Party and it is now walking on a wrong path that no one wants to be associated with.
Citing this as a reason, Chadha said, “Consequently, one by one, many leaders have left the Aam Aadmi Party.”
