New Delhi, April 24: In a major political jolt to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), seven Rajya Sabha MPs — including prominent leader Raghav Chadha — resigned from the party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday, April 24. The mass exodus of founding members and senior legislators has prompted BJP leaders to publicly demand that AAP's leadership engage in deep self-reflection, with several BJP figures pointing to alleged corruption as the primary driver of the party's unravelling.

BJP Leaders Demand AAP Introspection

BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj, speaking to reporters in New Delhi, said the departures represent a defining moment of crisis for AAP. "This is the moment when the AAP leadership needs to do self-introspection because when another one of the founding members of the party leaves after being angry and disappointed, it is clear that the organisation is being reduced to rubble," she said.

BJP MP Anurag Thakur was more direct, attributing the wave of resignations squarely to "corruption" within the AAP ecosystem. He noted that the party had set a grim record — "The party made a record when many of its leaders went to jail within such a short span of time."

Thakur added that those who had originally joined AAP with the mission of fighting corruption grew disillusioned when the party itself became mired in the same. "The reason is clear: they were sad in their party. The focus they came with was to fight corruption but when the party itself drowned in the same corruption, their leaders are all leaving one by one," he said.

AAP Existence Under Threat, Says BJP Spokesperson

BJP spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain declared that the departing lawmakers have recognised that "the party has deviated from its main goal." He warned that Arvind Kejriwal risks being left politically isolated. "Arvind Kejriwal would be left alone," Hussain said, adding that the scale of defections signals that AAP's very existence is now in "trouble."

This assessment carries weight given the timeline of AAP's troubles. Kejriwal himself was arrested in March 2024 in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case, a case that also ensnared former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh. The string of arrests of senior leaders has severely dented the party's anti-corruption image — the very identity on which AAP was founded in 2012.

Delhi BJP Chief Predicts Punjab Split

Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva welcomed the defecting MPs and made a bold prediction: a significant split is imminent in AAP's Punjab unit. "I feel there will be a major split in Punjab, because the people of Punjab are troubled by the governance of the Aam Aadmi Party. Even the local leaders there have become frustrated with the administration of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal," Sachdeva said.

This is a notable claim. Punjab is AAP's only remaining state government after the party lost power in Delhi in the February 2025 assembly elections, where it was routed by the BJP. Losing its Punjab foothold — even partially — would effectively reduce AAP to a fringe political force at the national level.

Kejriwal Blamed for AAP's Fragmentation

BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh placed the blame for AAP's implosion directly on Arvind Kejriwal, telling IANS: "Arvind Kejriwal has been engaging in politics of corruption, loot, and syndicates. Today, the Aam Aadmi Party is trapped in its own web."

The irony is stark. AAP was born out of the India Against Corruption movement of 2011, led by activist Anna Hazare, with Kejriwal as one of its most vocal faces. The party swept to power in Delhi in 2015 with a historic 67 out of 70 seats, largely on an anti-corruption mandate. The fact that multiple founding members are now citing corruption as the reason for their exit represents a fundamental collapse of the party's foundational identity.

Political Impact and What Comes Next

The departure of seven Rajya Sabha MPs in one stroke significantly weakens AAP's presence in the Upper House of Parliament. With reduced numbers, the party loses leverage in legislative proceedings and coalition negotiations. For the BJP, the additions strengthen its parliamentary arithmetic while delivering a powerful optics victory ahead of upcoming state elections.

Political analysts note that AAP's trajectory — from a revolutionary anti-establishment force to a party haemorrhaging members over corruption allegations — mirrors the fate of several regional parties that rose rapidly on idealistic platforms but struggled under the weight of governance realities and internal power struggles.

With Punjab assembly elections due in 2027 and AAP already under pressure in the state, the coming months will be critical in determining whether the party can stabilise or faces further fragmentation. All eyes will now be on whether Arvind Kejriwal can mount a credible response to arrest the exodus.