Raghav Chadha Quits AAP, Joins BJP Along With 6 MPs in Biggest Political Shock of 2026

April 24, 2026 will be remembered as one of the most dramatic days in recent Indian political history. Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, one of the Aam Aadmi Party's most recognizable young faces, officially resigned from AAP and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, bringing six other Rajya Sabha MPs along with him in a move that has sent shockwaves across the political spectrum.

The defecting MPs include Sandeep Pathak, a key AAP organizer, and Ashok Mittal, who had just weeks earlier been elevated as deputy leader of AAP in the Rajya Sabha in place of Chadha himself. The group submitted a signed letter to the Rajya Sabha Chairman claiming constitutional merger with the BJP, with Chadha asserting that more than two-thirds of AAP's Rajya Sabha MPs have supported the switch.

Chadha, who is married to Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra and is a qualified chartered accountant who once served as AAP's national treasurer, was blunt about his reasons. He said he had spent years feeling like "the right man in the wrong party." His relationship with the AAP leadership had visibly soured in April when the party removed him as its deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, a decision he publicly described as a politically motivated attempt to prevent him from speaking in Parliament.

The fallout was swift and fierce. AAP spokesperson Sanjay Singh accused BJP of orchestrating "Operation Lotus," claiming the ruling party had used central agencies like the ED and CBI to pressure AAP MLAs and MPs into switching sides and that this was an attempt to destabilize the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab.

Ex-AAP leader Naveen Jaihind added fuel to the fire by releasing a video making allegations about money being routed to London and physical altercations at the chief minister's residence, allegations that have not been independently verified.

Analysts see this as a potentially crippling blow to AAP's strength in the Rajya Sabha and its ability to push back against central legislation affecting Delhi and Punjab. With Punjab assembly elections on the horizon and internal fissures now fully public, Arvind Kejriwal faces one of his toughest political tests yet. For Chadha, the move marks a dramatic reinvention that is sure to keep India's political watchers glued to every development in the weeks ahead.