AAP가 찬다 등 라즈야 사바 의원 7명 손실, BJP 합류

NEW DELHI: Seven of the 10 Rajya Sabha MPs of AAP, including Raghav Chadha and ex-international cricketer Harbhajan Singh, joined BJP on Friday, in a jolt to the party ahead of next year’s election in Punjab, the only state where it is in office. This comes at a time when former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has intensified his campaign against BJP after his discharge in the excise policy case.Others who crossed over are Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, estranged party functionary Swati Maliwal and Rajendra Gupta.Raghav was joined by Mittal, who had replaced him as AAP’s deputy leader in Rajya Sabha only three weeks back, and Pathak at a presser where he dropped the bombshell and accused his former party of being in the grip of “corrupt and compromised” people after being founded on an anti-corruption plank in 2012.The group meets the two-thirds threshold laid down under the anti-defection act to merge into another group without disqualification, though AAP said it would seek their disqualification.“We, the two-third MPs belonging to AAP, exercise the provisions within the Constitution of India and merge ourselves with BJP,” he said, adding that they had submitted a letter to this effect earlier in the day to RS chairman C P Radhakrishnan. The development came amid BJP leadership’s intensive campaign in West Bengal against AAP’s ally, Mamata Banerjee, underlining its equal focus on the upcoming political challenges. The three MPs later met BJP president Nitin Nabin.The bunch, G-7 as they were being referred to in political circles, attracted a volley of accusations of “betrayal” from Kejriwal, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, leader of AAP in Rajya Sabha Sanjay Singh and others.MPs switch takes BJP’s strength in Upper House to 113, NDA’s to 142The turncoats, however, not only stood their ground but also claimed the moral high ground, alleging that AAP had become a party of the corrupt and compromised.“AAP has strayed from its principles and moral values. The party no longer works in national interest but for personal gain. I do not want to be part of their crimes,” Raghav said in a pointed attack on Kejriwal, whose rise as the all-powerful party supremo has seen several close associates resign since AAP emerged from the India Against Corruption movement.He praised PM’s leadership, noting that people have placed their faith in his govt three times. He added that more AAP netas are likely to leave as BJP expands its footprint in Punjab.Pathak, a former IIT faculty member and a key strategist during AAP’s 2022 Punjab sweep, refrained from criticising Kejriwal. Instead, he cited “circumstances” for his decision and said he was joining BJP to continue serving the country.Mittal, who expanded his family’s ventures into Lovely Professional University, did not speak. His premises had been raided by ED days earlier.Kejriwal, who had been staying at Mittal’s official residence, shifted to the house allotted to him as AAP convener Friday.The switch takes BJP’s strength in RS to 113 and NDA tally to 142 — 17 above majority.While defections to BJP are not new, the mass crossover of AAP MPs highlights the party’s vulnerability. Critics, including insiders, have long accused AAP of ideological ambiguity in its pursuit of power.The party’s RS picks were often cited as evidence, with businessmen lacking political roots from Delhi and Punjab — where AAP had assembly strength — frequently nominated.Besides Mittal, Sahney of Sun Group and Gupta of Trident Group are prominent business figures who were reportedly uneasy with AAP’s sharp criticism of the government.Harbhajan largely stayed away from parliamentary proceedings and political commentary. Among those still in AAP, N D Gupta, a CA, and Balbir Seechewal, a social activist with a measured stance and good ties with the PM, remain key figures.All MPs except Maliwal were elected from Punjab. Their switch raises BJP’s RS tally from the state to six of seven seats, despite the party winning only two assembly seats there.