AAP faces setback ahead of 2027 Punjab polls as 7 RS MPs quit party

CHANDIGARH: (Apr 24) Seven Rajya Sabha MPs, including six from Punjab, quitting the AAP on Friday has come as a big setback for the ruling party ahead of the 2027 state Assembly polls, with its rivals claiming that the development signals “a complete disconnect between the leadership and the cadre”.

Rajya Sabha MPs Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak announced in Delhi that they were quitting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), along with five other parliamentarians — Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Swati Maliwal, Rajinder Gupta and Vikram Sawhney. Chadha also said that all seven have merged with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The setback to the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit comes at a time when the AAP is gearing up for next year’s Punjab Assembly polls, aiming to retain power in the state.