New Delhi:In a massive political blow to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Friday announced his exit from the party and merger with the BJP, taking two-thirds of AAP's Upper House members along with him.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi alongside Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal, Chadha said, "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 its personal benefits...For the past few years, I could feel that I am the right man in the wrong party. So, today, we announce that I am distancing myself from the AAP and getting close to public."
Also Read:Raghav Chadha Joins BJP, Claims 2/3 AAP Rajya Sabha MPs to Merge
He then dropped the real bombshell.
"We have decided that we, the 2/3rd members belonging to the AAP in Rajya Sabha, exercise the provisions of the Constitution of India and merge ourselves with the BJP," Chadha declared.
For Arvind Kejriwal, it marks the loss of one of his closest aides - a leader once seen as AAP's brightest national face and its future.
The split did not happen overnight. It had been building for months.
The immediate trigger came on April 2, when AAP removed Chadha as deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha. The party also informed the Rajya Sabha Secretariat that Chadha should no longer be allotted speaking time from AAP's official quota.
For a leader known for his parliamentary interventions, the move was seen as a public humiliation.
Raghav hit back the very next day.
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
