The recent exit of seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members of Parliament, including Raghav Chadha, has sent shockwaves across the political landscape. However, insiders claim that the rebellion was a long time coming, fueled by power struggles and frustrations within the party.
The story began in 2024, when preparations for the Delhi elections kicked off, and some AAP leaders expressed discontent with the functioning of the Punjab government, which is led by the AAP. Six of the seven Rajya Sabha members from Punjab, who were among those who quit the party, had initially served as key strategists for the AAP, but were gradually marginalized as the party's leadership shifted towards a new set of advisers.
According to sources, the disenchantment extended to the functioning of the parliamentary party led by Sanjay Singh, an AAP Rajya Sabha MP. The group of 10 in the Rajya Sabha functioned as standalone agents, with no clear direction from the party on what issues to raise or strategies to adopt inside Parliament.
The fact that the party's choice for Chaddha's replacement as deputy leader in RS, Ashok Mittal, also joined the BJP on Friday, highlights how Kejriwal miscalculated the extent of the drift in his party. The BJP is showcasing the defections as an instance of its appeal, but insiders in the AAP point out that this was more about the younger party's organisational problems.
Happenings in Punjab seem to have tipped the balance, with two of the MPs who quit claiming that Chadha and others led a large group of Punjab lawmakers to meet Kejriwal in 2024, expressing their discontent with the Punjab government's functioning. Kejriwal's decision to put his weight behind Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann's leadership in the state may have contributed to the growing discontent among the AAP leaders.
The BJP's decision to provide a home for these disgruntled MPs was taken when Union home minister Amit Shah visited Punjab and held a rally in Moga last month. However, whether this move will really help the party in Punjab is debatable, with some political leaders suggesting that the BJP may end up helping the AAP in the long run.
