A major political crisis has erupted within the Aam Aadmi Party, drawing nationwide attention after seven of its Rajya Sabha MPs resigned en masse and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. In response, AAP leadership has initiated legal action, with senior leader Sanjay Singh filing a petition before Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan, seeking their disqualification under the anti-defection law.
The party has also sought legal counsel on the matter. Sanjay Singh stated that consultations were held with senior advocate Kapil Sibal and former Lok Sabha Secretary General P. D. T. Achary. Both are said to have opined that there are sufficient grounds to disqualify the defecting MPs under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which governs anti-defection provisions.
The MPs who resigned include Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Swati Maliwal, and Vikramjit Sahney. Explaining their exit, some leaders cited dissatisfaction with the party’s functioning. Raghav Chadha referred to growing disillusionment, while Vikramjit Sahney raised concerns over issues such as Punjab’s rising debt, farmers’ distress, and drug abuse.
Amid the developments, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has reportedly stepped in, planning to meet President Droupadi Murmu along with party MLAs to seek a recall of the MPs. However, constitutional provisions do not currently allow for the recall of elected MPs or MLAs, adding further complexity to the situation.
The issue has now entered a legal grey area, with experts divided over the likely outcome. While some argue that disqualification may not apply if two-thirds of members split and merge with another party, AAP maintains that the defections violate constitutional principles. The unfolding crisis is expected to have significant political and legal implications in the coming days.