NEW DELHI (Storify News) — In a seismic shift that has rewritten the political landscape of the Rajya Sabha,senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha officially defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday, April 24, 2026.
Chadha was not alone; he led a massive exodus of seven AAP Rajya Sabha members, effectively triggering a legal merger with the BJP under the Anti-Defection Law. This move leaves the Arvind Kejriwal-led party with a mere three members in the Upper House, decimating its national parliamentary influence.
The “2/3rd Merger”: How the Defection Bypasses the Law
Under the Constitution of India, a legislator is typically disqualified for switching parties. However, Chadha strategically moved with exactly 7 out of AAP’s 10 Rajya Sabha MPs.
“We represent the two-thirds majority of the AAP in the Rajya Sabha,” Chadha told reporters during a packed press conference. “We have exercised our constitutional right to merge our group with the BJP. This is not a resignation; it is a merger of the AAP’s parliamentary soul into a party that puts the nation first.”
The Full List: Who Left AAP?
The defection includes high-profile names and heavyweights from Punjab and Delhi:
- Raghav Chadha: (Punjab) Former Deputy Leader of AAP in Rajya Sabha.
- Harbhajan Singh: (Punjab) Former Indian International Cricketer.
- Swati Maliwal: (Delhi) Former Chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women.
- Sandeep Pathak: (Punjab) The IITIan strategist once considered the “brain” behind Kejriwal.
- Ashok Mittal: (Punjab) Founder of Lovely Professional University (LPU).
- Vikram Sahney: (Punjab) Renowned businessman and social worker.
- Rajinder Gupta: (Punjab) Billionaire industrialist and Trident Group founder.
Storify Insight: Why Now?
The rift has been simmering for weeks. Earlier this month, the AAP leadership unceremoniously removed Chadha from his post as Deputy Leader of the House, replacing him with Ashok Mittal (who, ironically, has now joined Chadha in the BJP).
The party had accused Chadha of “indiscipline” and failing to protest against the Chief Election Commissioner.Chadha’s rebuttal was stinging: “I realized I was the right man in the wrong party. The AAP I gave 15 years of my youth to has become a den of personal ambition rather than public service.”
Political Fallout: “Operation Lotus” vs. “Self-Destruction”
The AAP has reacted with fury. Senior leader Sanjay Singh called the move a “betrayal of Punjab’s mandate,” alleging that the BJP has used “Operation Lotus” to dismantle the opposition.
| Party Strength (RS) | Pre-April 24 | Post-April 24 |
| Aam Aadmi Party | 10 | 3 |
| BJP (Direct Gain) | 98 | 105 |
For the BJP, the gain is more than just numerical. By securing leaders like Harbhajan Singh and Rajinder Gupta, the party gains massive leverage in Punjab ahead of the upcoming state cycles. BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya noted on X (formerly Twitter) that the “collapse of AAP is no longer speculation—it is a reality.”
