Arvind Kejriwal attempted to pacify dissenting MPs by offering future election tickets, but seven leaders quit the Aam Aadmi Party before a scheduled meeting could take place, sources said.
Kejriwal had invited the MPs to his residence on Friday evening and told them they could resign if unhappy, with an assurance that at least five of the six would be given tickets in the next term. However, the meeting did not happen as the MPs had already announced their exit earlier in the day.
Among those who left were Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, and Sandeep Pathak, along with Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikram Sahni, and Swati Maliwal. Chadha said all seven had merged with the BJP.
Sources said the MPs had individually decided to leave as early as Thursday morning, even before Kejriwal reached out. They had not initially coordinated as a group, but later discussions led to a joint move.
Chadha’s push for collective action came after he was replaced by Ashok Kumar Mittal as Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, sources said. Mittal also joined the group that exited the party.
The BJP welcomed the MPs, with party president Nitin Nabin receiving them. AAP leaders alleged that the BJP had launched “Operation Lotus” to poach MPs and disrupt its governance in Punjab.
Chadha said the decision was driven by ideological differences, claiming the party had strayed from its founding principles. He added that the MPs had submitted signed documents to the Rajya Sabha chairman to formalise the merger, citing constitutional provisions that allow such a move if two-thirds of a party’s MPs agree.