<p class="bodytext">Seven of the 10 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MPs in the Rajya Sabha have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), causing a major setback to the AAP. Their move to join the BJP is not entirely surprising, considering the BJP has been accepting deserters from other parties, individually and in groups. This crossover is led by Raghav Chadha, who was the AAP’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha till recently; the other breakaway leaders include Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal. Ironically, Mittal had replaced Chadha when the party recently removed the latter from his Rajya Sabha position. Chadha was seen as having strained relations with the party leadership, which is now completely identified with Arvind Kejriwal. He was not seen with Kejriwal and the other leaders when they fought the Delhi excise policy case, in courts and outside. While Chadha had distanced himself from the party on all forums, and his exit does not come as a surprise, the mass merger was unexpected.</p>.'You got married because we made you MP': AAP's Saurabh Bhardwaj throws jibe at Raghav Chadha .<p class="bodytext">Chadha, while justifying his action, noted that the AAP has abandoned its foundational ideals. He and the other dissidents claimed that the party was giving precedence to “personal benefits” over public service. But this merger raises questions about their motives, the “foundational” values of the AAP, and the BJP’s role in the matter. Chadha’s revolt has been in the making, and his embrace with the BJP cannot be seen as an instinctive call. Considering how critical he has been of the BJP in the past, the move shows how brittle his own commitment to these values is. For the BJP, this is familiar territory. It has consistently welcomed leaders from other parties without discrimination and with a clear objective to weaken or break the opposition. The long-term impact of this strategy, both on the party and the politics of our time, is yet to be seen.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The AAP may be facing an existential crisis, as reports emerge on other possible desertions. The party, which was born out of an anti-corruption movement against the then UPA government, presented itself as a moral alternative. Its ideological positions have always been hazy, and on many issues are aligned with the BJP’s. Increasingly personality-driven, the party has seen a steady exodus of leaders, including some of its founder members. It has seen a quick rise over a short period of time, but will now have to step up damage control, especially with Punjab, where it is in power, due to face elections next year.</p>
<p class="bodytext">Seven of the 10 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MPs in the Rajya Sabha have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), causing a major setback to the AAP. Their move to join the BJP is not entirely surprising, considering the BJP has been accepting deserters from other parties, individually and in groups. This crossover is led by Raghav Chadha, who was the AAP’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha till recently; the other breakaway leaders include Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal. Ironically, Mittal had replaced Chadha when the party recently removed the latter from his Rajya Sabha position. Chadha was seen as having strained relations with the party leadership, which is now completely identified with Arvind Kejriwal. He was not seen with Kejriwal and the other leaders when they fought the Delhi excise policy case, in courts and outside. While Chadha had distanced himself from the party on all forums, and his exit does not come as a surprise, the mass merger was unexpected.</p>.'You got married because we made you MP': AAP's Saurabh Bhardwaj throws jibe at Raghav Chadha .<p class="bodytext">Chadha, while justifying his action, noted that the AAP has abandoned its foundational ideals. He and the other dissidents claimed that the party was giving precedence to “personal benefits” over public service. But this merger raises questions about their motives, the “foundational” values of the AAP, and the BJP’s role in the matter. Chadha’s revolt has been in the making, and his embrace with the BJP cannot be seen as an instinctive call. Considering how critical he has been of the BJP in the past, the move shows how brittle his own commitment to these values is. For the BJP, this is familiar territory. It has consistently welcomed leaders from other parties without discrimination and with a clear objective to weaken or break the opposition. The long-term impact of this strategy, both on the party and the politics of our time, is yet to be seen.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The AAP may be facing an existential crisis, as reports emerge on other possible desertions. The party, which was born out of an anti-corruption movement against the then UPA government, presented itself as a moral alternative. Its ideological positions have always been hazy, and on many issues are aligned with the BJP’s. Increasingly personality-driven, the party has seen a steady exodus of leaders, including some of its founder members. It has seen a quick rise over a short period of time, but will now have to step up damage control, especially with Punjab, where it is in power, due to face elections next year.</p>
