Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha performed a special pooja to mark PM Narendra Modi becoming India's longest continuously serving elected Prime Minister, surpassing Jawaharlal Nehru. Chadha, who recently joined the BJP, praised Modi's successive mandates in a 'fiercely contested democracy'.
Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha accused the AAP-led Punjab government of using state machinery for political vendetta against MPs who joined the BJP. He alleged selective targeting through various agencies, presenting these concerns to the President. Another rebel MP, Sandeep Pathak, stated they sought constitutional safeguards from the President, who assured protection.
A political confrontation in Punjab escalates as rival camps led by Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann seek separate meetings with President Droupadi Murmu on the same day. Chadha, one of seven AAP MPs who switched to BJP on April 24, is scheduled to meet the President at 10:40am, followed by Mann at noon seeking recall of the defectors. The row intensifies with reports of two FIRs with non-bailable charges against Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak, who alleges misuse of government machinery.
Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha will meet President Droupadi Murmu on May 5 to raise concerns over alleged misuse of state machinery in Punjab and flag political vendetta against MPs who recently quit the Aam Aadmi Party and joined the BJP. The meeting is scheduled for 10:40 am and Chadha will be accompanied by three other MPs. This comes after Chadha resigned from AAP and joined BJP on April 24, along with six other Rajya Sabha MPs, citing that the party had deviated from its founding principles.
AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj accused Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha of hatching a conspiracy with the BJP after he quit the party and joined the BJP. Bharadwaj compared Chadha's analogy of changing parties like switching jobs to the necessity of giving three-month notice when leaving a company. He alleged that when the Enforcement Directorate tightened its grip on Chadha, he conspired with BJP to build his image as an independent youth leader. Chadha responded in a video saying he left AAP after 15 years due to disappointment, disenchantment and disgust, not fear. He lost nearly 2 million Instagram followers within 24 hours of his announcement.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju welcomed seven Rajya Sabha MPs who defected from AAP to BJP, praising their parliamentary conduct. The move significantly boosts BJP's strength in the Rajya Sabha, while AAP has petitioned for the disqualification of the defecting members.
Raghav Chadha explained his departure from the Aam Aadmi Party, citing a toxic work environment and corruption within the organization. He stated that he felt like the 'right man, but in the wrong party,' and that seven MPs have decided to leave. Chadha asserted the decision was driven by disappointment, not fear, and pledged to continue public service.
Mumbai Police detained several AAP activists on Sunday after they protested outside the residence of Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha in Khar, who recently defected to BJP along with six other AAP MPs. The protesters raised slogans against him, burned his effigy, and held placards expressing anger over his party switch. Similar protests were held in Ludhiana against another AAP MP Rajinder Gupta who also joined BJP. AAP claimed the protest was peaceful and alleged police selectively enforced law to curb democratic rights.
Aam Aadmi Party workers protested outside MP Rajinder Gupta's residence in Ludhiana, spray-painting 'Gaddar' on his walls after he and Raghav Chadha led a mass defection of AAP MPs to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Raghav Chadha and six other AAP Rajya Sabha MPs have defected to the BJP, effectively merging their faction with the ruling party. The move poses a significant challenge to Arvind Kejriwal's AAP, particularly in Punjab, ahead of next year's assembly elections.
Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has left the Aam Aadmi Party and joined the BJP, alleging the party has deviated from its core principles and no longer provides space for honest workers. Chadha claimed seven MPs are leaving AAP together, citing corruption concerns and alleged lavish spending on a 'Sheesh Mahal Part 2.' Former Delhi CM Atishi refuted the claims, calling the pictures released by Pravesh Verma fake.
Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha lost over 1 million Instagram followers within 24 hours of announcing his exit from Aam Aadmi Party and joining the Bharatiya Janata Party. His follower count dropped from 14.6 million to 13.3 million. Users flooded his posts with critical comments expressing disappointment and betrayal. AAP Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged Chadha deleted social media posts critical of PM Modi and the BJP, calling it a "systematic reshaping of his public persona." Chadha rejected the allegations as lies and part of a coordinated campaign.
Raghav Chadha, former AAP deputy leader in Rajya Sabha, has led a group of seven MPs out of the party to align with BJP, citing corruption, disappointment and disgust with the party's direction. Chadha claimed the Sheesh Mahal controversy was a major reason for AAP's Delhi assembly election defeat and accused the party of walking on the wrong path. The defection follows his removal as deputy leader and allegations of being abroad during Kejriwal's arrest in 2024.
Seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs, six from Punjab, have merged with the BJP citing the party strayed from its principles. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann seeks presidential meeting to seek recall of these MPs. Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh will demand disqualification of Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, and Sandeep Pathak under the Tenth Schedule, arguing joining BJP amounts to voluntarily relinquishing original party membership.
BJP released a poster titled 'A Film by AAP-da: Taanashah' targeting AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal a day after several Rajya Sabha MPs including Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal quit AAP and joined BJP. The poster shows Kejriwal with broken party symbol and walking away members. BJP leaders called Kejriwal 'Rahman Dakait of Delhi' and circulated 'Sheeshmahal 2' images, which AAP rejected as fake. The exodus is seen as a major blow to AAP ahead of Punjab assembly elections in 2027.
Veteran activist Anna Hazare criticized AAP leadership following the departure of Raghav Chadha and six other Rajya Sabha MPs, suggesting their exit stemmed from the party deviating from its original principles. Chadha announced the group's decision to merge with the BJP, citing constitutional provisions and claiming a significant portion of AAP's Rajya Sabha members had left.
Seven Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MPs, including Raghav Chadha and Harbhajan Singh, have left the party and merged with the BJP. The MPs claimed two-thirds of AAP's Rajya Sabha members quit and exercised constitutional provisions to merge with the BJP. Social activist Anna Hazare commented that the exiting leaders must have faced difficulties within the party, adding that had AAP followed the right path, they would not have left.
Seven Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MPs, including Raghav Chadha, have exited the party and aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party. The MPs claimed two-thirds of AAP's Rajya Sabha members quit and exercised constitutional provisions to merge with the BJP. Social activist Anna Hazare commented that the leaders must have faced difficulties within the party, saying had AAP followed the right direction, they would not have left.
Seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MPs, including Raghav Chadha, have defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), citing ideological differences. The AAP plans to seek their disqualification under the anti-defection law, though the party believes the law's provisions for party mergers may apply.
Seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs, including key strategists Sandeep Pathak and Raghav Chadha, have quit the party and joined BJP, dealing a symbolic blow to AAP in Punjab ahead of the 2027 assembly elections. Pathak was the 'silent mastermind' behind AAP's 2022 Punjab victory, while Chadha served as Punjab co-incharge. Their operational influence had already diminished after Manish Sisodia took over as Punjab in-charge in March 2025. The MPs invoked the two-thirds merger provision of the Tenth Schedule to retain their Rajya Sabha seats.
Seven AAP MPs including Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal have joined the BJP, a move strategically timed ahead of Punjab Assembly elections due early next year. Chadha and Pathak were key figures behind AAP's 2022 Punjab victory. The BJP is targeting Panthic voters traditionally aligned with Shiromani Akali Dal, with HS Phoolka also joining earlier this month.
Seven of Aam Aadmi Party's 10 Rajya Sabha MPs, led by Raghav Chadha, have defected to the BJP in one of the biggest crises for AAP since its 2012 formation. Chadha, once Kejriwal's close aide, accused the party of deviating from its founding ideals and prioritizing personal benefits over national interest. The mass exodus includes Harbhajan Singh, Sandeep Pathak, and other Punjab-linked MPs, reducing AAP to just 3 MPs in the Upper House.
Seven Rajya Sabha MPs, led by Raghav Chadha, have defected from AAP to the BJP, significantly boosting the ruling party's numbers to 113 and reducing AAP to just three members. This move weakens the opposition bloc's strength to 77, marking a substantial shift in the Upper House's political landscape and impacting AAP's national presence.
