New Delhi: While the optics of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) exodus were on display in New Delhi, the impact will be far greater in Punjab, the only state in which the party is still in power.
Of the seven MPs who left AAP and joined the BJP Friday, four are from Punjab—Harbhajan Singh, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Ashok Mittal, and Sandeep Pathak. With assembly elections in the state next year, the crisis in AAP is a windfall for the BJP.
Professor Chandrachud Singh, political analyst, speaking to ThePrint, said, “The political implications will be significant in Punjab, given that a majority of the Rajya Sabha MPs who left are from the state. The Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to capitalise on the situation and expand its presence in the state.”
Experts suggest the exit of these MPs could trigger a cascading effect in the national capital as well—where the Aam Aadmi Party still has a presence, with more defections likely from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and even among MLAs as the party’s position further weakens. The departure of Raghav Chadha and Swati Maliwal, both once key members of Arvind Kejriwal’s inner circle, could accelerate further exits.
“We will see a lot more defections not just in Punjab but Delhi also, more councillors in the MCD and MLAs in the Vidhan Sabha could also be looking to move out to be closer to where the power is—the BJP,” added Professor Chandrachud Singh.
Experts warn that the Aam Aadmi Party could be facing an existential crisis at this point.
Political scientist Rahul Verma told ThePrint: “Unlike Delhi, where the party can point to a governance model, there is no comparable positive narrative emerging from Punjab. The performance has faced constant criticism with allegations that Arvind Kejriwal is acting as a ‘super CM’ while Bhagwant Mann has been sidelined; there isn’t much substantial growth to point to either.”
“The road ahead is particularly challenging for the next four years, if they lose Punjab; they can still come back to power in Delhi but that’s in 2030,” added Verma.
Defections and exits from the Aam Aadmi Party are not isolated events—the party has seen a wave of exits since 2015, including founders like Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan, Ashtoush and Shazia Ilmi.
Talking to ThePrint, Shazia Ilmi said, “I was among the first to leave. Arvind Kejriwal—who is a man of convenience—had once sworn that this would never become a typical political party, that we were all part of a larger cause. But no one believed me at the time; instead, I was maligned.”
“The way people, especially women, are treated within the system is deeply problematic. There were serious concerns. The party set-up became selfish and manipulative; people are discarded once Kejriwal thinks their purpose is served,” she added.
Ashutosh, former AAP leader, also pointed to a similar trend while speaking to ThePrint. He said, “AAP is a one-man party with no real structure or organisational system. There is no mechanism to address concerns of leaders and workers who are upset. The party revolves entirely around Arvind Kejriwal. He is not a team builder.”
He pointed at a lack of organisational structure as the main reason for leaders leaving the party, along with Kejriwal’s dictatorial nature.
Rajendra Pal Gautam who was a minister in the Aam Aadmi Party spoke to ThePrint and pointed at problems within the party, referring to Kejriwal as a “vengeful man who holds grudges”.
“Kejriwal has become increasingly authoritarian, and it is difficult for people to work under such a system for long. He does not listen to others and runs the party in his own way, with little regard for representation of SC, ST, OBC and minority voices,” he told ThePrint.
However, the AAP camp appears to be holding firm, at least outwardly. Shortly after the announcement of Raghav Chadha’s exit, senior leader Sanjay Singh addressed a press conference, referring to Chadha and the other departing MPs as “traitors”.
“The BJP used state machinery to create fear and initiate Operation Lotus, Punjab will never forget these traitors who stabbed the people in the back,” said Sanjay Singh.
Sources within the Aam Aadmi Party said they remain “positive” and see this as a good time for the party, pointing to the possibility of Arvind Kejriwal being acquitted in the liquor policy case.
The sources also suggested that while the exits were unfortunate, they did not come as a shock. “We have enough people who have given their blood and sweat to the party; there is no dearth of potential leaders,” they told ThePrint.
“With Manish Sisodia taking over the reins in Punjab as an in-charge, things are changing. We are hopeful this will not affect the tide; we have been working hard,” added AAP sources.
However, political scientist Rahul Verma described the defection of so many MPs as “unprecedented”.
“This has surely rattled the party, they would have expected Chaddha to leave, but not 2/3rd of the MPs in Rajya Sabha,” he told ThePrint.
AAP is now left with just 3 representatives in Rajya Sabha: N. D. Gupta, Balbir Sicchewal and Sanjay Singh.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
