After a major political stir, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has gone into damage-control mode following statements linked to Raghav Chadha, who, along with seven Rajya Sabha members, is said to have switched sides from the party.
Senior leader Manish Sisodia, who cut short his Gujarat visit, returned to Delhi on Saturday. He met AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, where discussions reportedly focused on preventing further political damage and stabilising the organisation.
Damage control assigned to Sisodia and Sanjay Singh
According to Jagran.com, citing sources, the party has divided responsibility for damage control across regions. Sanjay Singh has been assigned Delhi, while Manish Sisodia has been tasked with managing the situation in Punjab.
On the other hand, the party has instructed all the MLAs and the remaining MPs that if they receive any kind of call, they should record it and inform the top leadership of the party.
While AAP maintains that the departure of Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak poses no threat to its MLAs, the Jagran.com report suggests the leadership is now treating the situation seriously after Chadha’s recent statements.
What did Raghav Chadha say?
Former AAP MP Raghav Chadha had earlier hinted that “something big is going to happen in the future” after being removed from his post as Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha. At the time, the party leadership did not take the remark as a serious warning and did not consult other MPs.
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Concerns have now reportedly increased further after Chadha claimed he remains in touch with AAP MLAs. His remarks, made during and after his exit, are said to have prompted the party to urgently recall Sisodia from Gujarat, where he was campaigning for civic elections.
Party insiders say several MLAs in Punjab and Delhi have been dissatisfied for a long time. In Punjab, out of 92 MLAs, some are reportedly unhappy due to lack of ministerial positions or other grievances.
63 Punjab MLAs in touch with Chadha & Pathak
Reports within the party suggest that more than 63 Punjab MLAs are in contact with Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak, which is being viewed as a serious internal risk.
MLAs considered vulnerable are said to include those who previously defected from Congress or Shiromani Akali Dal. Some dissatisfied AAP leaders from the Majha and Malwa regions are also believed to be under the influence of leaders who have switched sides.
Claim of mass exits
Former Haryana leader Naveen Jaihind has Former Haryana leader Naveen Jaihind has claimed that around 28 Punjab MLAs may leave the party in the coming days. Political analysts suggest that Chadha and Pathak have significant influence among Punjab MLAs.
It is also reported that Chadha played a key role in ticket distribution during elections and remains in direct contact with several legislators. According to these claims, leaders such as Ashok Mittal and Harbhajan Singh are said to have regional influence over MLAs.
AAP rejects claims
However, senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh on Sunday rejected claims that Punjab MLAs are in contact with Raghav Chadha or other former leaders. He termed the reports as “misinformation and rumours.”
Singh also accused the BJP and Raghav Chadha of spreading false narratives. He added that protests are being held across Punjab against what he described as betrayal by Chadha and other former Rajya Sabha members who joined the BJP.
He further claimed that public sentiment is against those who, according to him, have betrayed AAP and Punjab.