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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\nNEW DELHI: A day after leading a massive Rajya Sabha exodus to BJP, AAP Supremo Arvind Kejriwal’s blue eyed boy, Raghav Chadha<\/a> on Saturday took a jab at the party leadership, saying he and several colleagues did not “quit out of fear, but out of disappointment and disgust.”Chadha, who had earlier been removed as AAP\u2019s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha made these remarks a day after a major setback for AAP, with several of its Rajya Sabha MPs, including Raghav Chadha, quitting the party and joining the BJP.“And those who are saying this, especially the Aam Aadmi Party<\/a> leaders, that we left the Aam Aadmi Party out of fear, we left the Aam Aadmi Party not out of fear but because of disappointment, disenchantment, and disgust\u2026” Chadha said.Targeting the party\u2019s image, Chadha blamed what he referred to as the “Sheesh Mahal” controversy for AAP\u2019s political decline, particularly its performance in the Delhi Assembly elections<\/a>.“The image of the AAP was shredded because of the Sheesh Mahal, and it was main the reason for the party’s defeat in the Delhi assembly elections. In less than a year since the elections, Sheesh Mahal part 2 is here…” he said.He went further, linking the issue directly to public perception and the party\u2019s future.“If there was one major reason for the Aam Aadmi Party’s loss in the Delhi elections, the Sheesh Mahal was one of the main reasons for the party’s defeat. But today, not even a year has passed since the Delhi elections ended, and Sheesh Mahal Part Two has come. I wonder how the few remaining good workers of the Aam Aadmi Party will respond when people in the streets and localities ask them questions about Sheesh Mahal. The Aam Aadmi Party should introspect and think about it,” he added.Explaining his decision to leave, Chadha said many within the party felt alienated and disillusioned.“Today, every true patriot who nurtured the Aam Aadmi Party with their blood and sweat and joined it with great expectations has either left the Aam Aadmi Party or is leaving it. Every honest, hardworking person feels that there is no longer room for work in the Aam Aadmi Party,” Chadha said.“And the Aam Aadmi Party is now walking on a wrong path that no one wants to be associated with. Consequently, one by one, many leaders have left the Aam Aadmi Party,” he added.Invoking constitutional provisions, he defended the collective decision of MPs to switch sides.“The Constitution, drafted by Baba Saheb Ambedkar, empowers elected MPs to leave their party if they feel that it has fallen into corrupt and compromised hands or is going down the wrong path. In this case, not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, but seven MPs are leaving the Aam Aadmi Party together, because they believe that the Aam Aadmi Party has fallen into corrupt and compromised hands,” he said.Chadha formalised the split at a press conference in Delhi, claiming that nearly two-thirds of AAP\u2019s Rajya Sabha MPs would now function as a separate faction aligned with the BJP.Among those who announced their exit alongside him were Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal. The broader list of defectors also included Swati Maliwal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta and Vikram Sahni.The development marks one of the most significant setbacks for AAP in recent years, especially in the Upper House where it had steadily built its presence.Rift months in the makingThe dramatic fallout follows weeks of escalating tensions between Chadha and the party leadership. Earlier this month, he was removed as AAP\u2019s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha and accused by senior leaders of engaging in “soft PR” instead of aggressively taking on the Centre.Party leaders alleged that Chadha had been reluctant to raise issues aligned with AAP\u2019s political stand. They pointed to his refusal to sign a notice seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and his failure to join Opposition walkouts in Parliament.Chadha, however, rejected these allegations, calling them “white lies” and challenging the party to provide evidence.Absence during key moments questionedHis growing distance from the party had become evident over the past year. Chadha was abroad when Kejriwal was arrested in the excise policy case in March 2024 and remained away during his nearly six-month incarceration.While leaders like Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh faced jail terms and led protests, Chadha\u2019s absence from key press briefings and demonstrations drew criticism within the party.More recently, he maintained silence even after Kejriwal, Sisodia and other AAP leaders were discharged by a Delhi court in the same case. He also skipped Kejriwal\u2019s press conference and a rally at Jantar Mantar following the relief, further fuelling speculation about internal discord.The exodus has intensified the political battle between AAP and the BJP, while also raising questions about the future of AAP\u2019s national ambitions. For Chadha, the move marks a decisive break from the party he once helped build, as he now positions himself within a new political camp.The coming weeks are likely to determine whether this split reshapes AAP\u2019s internal structure \u2014 or signals a deeper churn within opposition politics ahead of key electoral battles.<\/div>\n\n