- By Surarika Das
- Sat, 25 Apr 2026 03:01 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The exit of Sandeep Pathak has come as a shock to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday. While Raghav Chadha's move was highly anticipated by the party, Pathak's exit was unexpected.
The ‘Silent Mastermind’
Pathak was a dominant face in the public domain, but his strategies were seen as the building blocks of the Punjab Elections 2022. The AAP members described him as the "silent mastermind" who was one of the most prominent figures in strategising the elections.
ALSO READ: New Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Michael Jackson; Four Siblings Claim ‘Brainwashing’ And Assault
His focus on surveys, planning, and booth-level execution helped AAP establish a strong base in the state, which remains one of its most important strongholds. His exit has proven to be one of the biggest losses for the party.
Pathak was not only a mere member of the Parliament; he was one of the key participants in the party's decision-making process. Initially, he worked with the Delhi Dialogue Commission alongside Ashish Khetan and later gained the trust of Arvind Kejriwal through his work on electoral surveys in Punjab and Gujarat.
Pathak was one of the close associates of Kejriwal. According to a News18 report, he was one of the few people who were allowed to meet the former CM in jail, along with Sunita Kejriwal and Bibhav Kumar.
Pathak continued to be deeply involved in the major operations of the party. His abrupt action was unexpected and raised more serious internal concerns.
He was called an "outlier" by a party official, who pointed out that he was more than simply an MP and had been a member of the AAP's core group since at least 2018.
ALSO READ: Paytm Payments Bank's Licence Cancelled: When Are Customers Likely To Get Refund?
Within the party, several explanations have been offered for the departures of other MPs. Following raids at his residence and place of business by the Enforcement Directorate, Ashok Mittal left. Others, like Rajinder Gupta, Vikram Sahney, and Harbhajan Singh, were thought to be less involved in party activities.