Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal made a last-ditch attempt to keep Raghav Chadha and the 6 other Rajya Sabha MPs inside the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). It didn't go well. Thus, 7 MPs are gone. One resignation chain that Kejriwal could not stop, even when he personally tried. 

A party that built itself on loyalty just watched that loyalty walk out the door. Here's how it happened, and why nobody saw it coming. 

MUST READ | AAP’s toughest phase: Why Raghav Chadha’s exit could reshape India’s youngest national party

The former Delhi Chief Minister made a seemingly lucrative offer to at least 5 of the 6 leaders, but with terms and conditions, NDTV reported, citing sources aware of the matter.

Kejriwal told the MPs that if "you have any apprehension, you should resign from your posts and you will be given tickets again in the next term." Unbeknownst to him, the MPs had already made up their mind as of Thursday to leave the AAP and join the BJP.

DON'T MISS: Timeline | Why Raghav Chadha quit AAP: BJP switch stuns AAP's Arvind Kejriwal

Arvind Kejriwal called the MPs to his house on Friday evening to discuss the matter, but the meeting never happened as they announced their exit from the party to join the BJP. 

Even though the MPs did not plan their exit as a group, they had individually decided to quit. For Chadha, the first trigger was his getting replaced by Ashok Mittal as the party's Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha. Following this, Chadha reached out and held talks with the MPs, including Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Vikram Sahni and Swati Maliwal, sources told the news outlet.

But Mittal also quit the party along with Chadha. His exit came days after the high-profile Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at multiple locations linked to Mittal, including his residence and the Lovely Professional University (LPU) campus in Punjab. 

The raids were linked to financial irregularities, including possible violations related to business entities associated with the Lovely Group. 

As BJP president Nitin Nabin gave the 7 AAP MPs a warm welcome, the AAP accused the BJP of launching "Operation Lotus" to poach their MPs and stop the Bhagwant Mann government's work in Punjab. 

After quitting the party, Chadha said, "I am telling you the real reason as to why I distanced myself from party activities. I did not want to be a part of their crime. We had just two options - either quit politics and give up our public work in the last 15-16 years or we do positive politics with our energy and experience. So, we have decided that we, the 2/3rd members belonging to the AAP in Rajya Sabha, exercise the provisions of the Constitution of India and merge ourselves with the BJP."

Published on: Apr 25, 2026 10:06 AM IST