NEW DELHI: Days after a public fallout with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over his removal as deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, MP Raghav Chadha on Friday announced that he will quit the Arvind Kejriwal-led party and join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Addressing a press conference in Delhi along with Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal, Chadha said that two-thirds of AAP’s Rajya Sabha MPs have decided to invoke constitutional provisions to merge with the BJP.
“We have decided that we, the two-thirds members belonging to the AAP in the Rajya Sabha, will exercise the provisions of the Constitution of India and merge ourselves with the BJP,” Chadha said.
Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal also confirmed their exit from the AAP and said they would be joining the BJP.
Explaining his decision, Chadha said the party he once dedicated years of his life to had moved away from its core principles and values.
“The AAP, which I nurtured with my blood and sweat and gave 15 years of my youth to, has deviated from its principles, values and core morals. Now this party does not work in the interest of the nation but for personal benefits,” he said.
Chadha added that for several years he felt he was “the right man in the wrong party” and had decided to distance himself from AAP and move closer to the public.
The development comes amid growing internal tensions within the AAP following Chadha’s removal from a key parliamentary position, marking one of the most significant leadership rifts in recent years. (Agency)
