Raghav Chadha AAP exit: Raghav Chadha, on Friday, quit the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) – a political organisation that launched him as a politician! Now, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Chadha had been a part of the AAP since its inception.
Professionally, a chartered accountant (CA), Chaddha was one of 10 MPs of the AAP in the Rajya Sabha (upper house of the Parliament). It is pertinent to mention here that before Friday’s political shocker, AAP had 10 MPs in the RS (7 from Punjab and 3 from Delhi).
Chaddha not only quit the party but also 6 other MPs (Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Swati Maliwal, Vikram Sahney, and Rajinder Gupta) left the party, which translated to a two-thirds faction, hence bypassing the anti-defection law.
Raghav Chadha AAP exit: What anti-defection law says
In India, the Anti-Defection Law, contained in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, was enacted to prevent elected members of Parliament (MPs) and State Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) from switching political parties for personal gain or office.
One of the grounds for disqualification is voluntarily giving up membership of the political party on whose ticket they were elected as an MP.
However, if at least two-thirds of the members of a legislative party agree to merge with another party, they are exempt from disqualification.
Raghav Chadha’s reason for quitting AAP
Addressing the media, Chadha gave the reason for leaving the party: “The AAP has deviated from its principles, values, and core morals. Now this party does not work in the interest of the nation but for its personal benefits.”
“For the past few years, I could feel that I am the right man in the wrong party,” he added.
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Impact on 2027 Punjab Assembly polls
Seven AAP MPs leaving the party, just months before the 2027 Punjab Assembly polls, will definitely have a powerful impact on AAP’s performance.
AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal was quick to react on X and tweeted, “The BJP has once again given Punjabis a shove”, connecting this political development to the upcoming Punjab elections.
The party apparently believes that this episode could be turned into getting voters’ sympathy in the polls. However, there is no guarantee for the same! Based on my political understanding and journalism experience, retaining power in Punjab for AAP will be a very hard nut to crack!
In the country, Punjab has historically been one of the most prominent examples of a “revolving door” political culture. Here, voters frequently punish the incumbent party.
For many years, the state was characterised by a regular pattern of anti-incumbency, with power alternating between the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) every five years.
From 1966 to 2012, no incumbent government in the state was able to secure a consecutive term. As a reaction to issues like drug menace, agrarian distress, unemployment, and governance fatigue, voters typically shifted their support to the opposition.
In 2022 “Tsunami”, the Assembly polls saw anti-incumbency reach a new level. Instead of just switching between the two traditional parties – Congress and SAD – voters rejected the established political establishment completely. The AAP won a landslide victory (92 out of 117 seats). It signaled that the electorate’s “liking” for change had expanded from a change of party to a change of the entire political system.
AAP for Punjab?
In terms of Assembly polls, this will be the second test for AAP after the 2025 Delhi Legislative Assembly elections, in which it was reduced to 22 seats and moved to the opposition.
Now, Punjab is the only state where AAP has political presence. However, sensing the pulse of the state and “revolving door” political culture, I’m getting a strong feeling that the state is planning for change. However, what will happen, only time will tell.
About the author: Anurag Sason is an Indian journalist with experience in mainstream journalism. He has worked in newspaper, news agency, TV, news app (short video sharing app) and digital media. He tweets at @AnuragSason
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