Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Apr 24: In a major political development, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha has quit the party and is set to merge with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a move that could significantly impact AAP’s strength in the Rajya Sabha.

Launching a sharp attack on his former party, Chadha said AAP had drifted away from its founding ideals. “Purane AAP wohi AAP nahi rahi,” he said, calling the party “corrupt and compromised” and remarking, “I was a right man in a wrong party.”

The exit comes amid an open rift between Chadha and the party leadership, days after he was removed as AAP’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha.

Sources indicated Chadha’s departure may not be an isolated development, with nearly two-thirds of AAP’s Rajya Sabha members reportedly expected to follow him into the BJP. Among those likely to make the switch are Ashok Mittal and Sandeep Pathak, a move that could alter the party’s parliamentary equations in the Upper House.

Chadha, once regarded as one of AAP’s prominent young faces and a key architect of its national outreach beyond Delhi and Punjab, had played a central role in shaping the party’s political messaging.

His exit, coupled with the possible defection of other MPs, signals widening fault lines within the party and could deal a major blow to AAP’s presence in Parliament.

For the BJP, the development could emerge as a significant political gain, strengthening its influence in the Rajya Sabha while weakening an opposition rival.

Formal announcements regarding the transition are expected in the coming days as the leaders complete the process of joining the BJP.