‘Right man, wrong party’: Raghav Chadha cites ‘toxic work environment’ in first broadside at AAP after BJP switch

In a sharp political turn, BJP MP Raghav Chadha on Monday said he was walking away from the party he helped build (Aam Aadmi Party), accusing it of turning into a space where “you are stopped from working” and even speaking in Parliament.

The announcement came through a self-recorded video in which Chadha traced his journey from leaving a Chartered Accountant career to spending “fifteen years of my prime youth” in politics, only to now conclude that the organisation had strayed from its founding ideals.

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The development comes against the backdrop of a major churn in the Rajya Sabha, where the BJP’s strength has climbed to 113 after Chairman CP Radhakrishnan cleared the merger of Chadha and six other MPs who had quit the AAP. The shift has reduced AAP to just three members in the Upper House, marking a significant setback.

In his statement, Chadha did not hold back. “I didn’t come into politics to build a career. I became a founding member of a political party. I gave fifteen years of my prime youth to this party,” he said, before adding that things had changed over time.

“But today, this party is no longer the same old party. Today, there’s a toxic work environment in this party. You are stopped from working. You are stopped from speaking in Parliament,” he said.

He went further, alleging that decision-making was now in the hands of “a few corrupt and compromised people” driven by personal interests. Reflecting on his own position, Chadha said, “For the last few years, I felt that perhaps I’m the right man but in the wrong party.”

#WATCH Delhi: On the merger of 7 AAP MPs with BJP, Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha says, “Some people are asking about the reasons behind my decision. I came into politics not to build my career but by leaving my career. AAP has now fallen into the hands of those who are working for… pic.twitter.com/YwkkbA6AIG

— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2026

Why Chadha says he chose to leave

Chadha outlined that he had weighed three possible paths before taking the call. These included stepping away from politics entirely, staying back to push for internal reform, or moving to another platform to continue what he described as “constructive politics.”

He indicated that his decision was not an isolated one. “One man can be wrong, two people can be wrong, but seven people cannot be wrong,” he said, referring to the group of MPs who exited together.

Even as he announced his departure, Chadha said he would continue to raise public issues with “greater energy and commitment”.

Meanwhile, the political fallout spilled onto the streets in Mumbai, where Aam Aadmi Party workers staged a protest outside Chadha’s residence. Demonstrators raised slogans such as “Traitor Raghav Chadha”, reflecting anger within party ranks over his exit and subsequent move.

Police intervened as the protest intensified, with personnel from Khar Police Station detaining several participants. Officials later said notices were issued and those detained were released.

An FIR has been registered against more than eight AAP leaders and workers, including Mumbai Working President Reuben Mascarenhas, under Sections 189(2), 189(3), and 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with provisions of the Maharashtra Police Act. Police said the case pertains to alleged unlawful assembly and protest activities linked to the merger of Chadha and six other MPs with the BJP in the Rajya Sabha.