Immediately after returning from his Gujarat visit, senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia met party supremo Arvind Kejriwal at his residence in New Delhi following the mass exodus of Rajya Sabha MPs that has left the party in shambles. The two leaders deliberated on party's future strategy and how it can deal with the crisis ahead of crucial assembly elections in Punjab next year.
"After returning to Delhi late at night, Sisodia went straight from the airport to the residence of party convenor Arvind Kejriwal. The two leaders met for more than half an hour. During the meeting, they also discussed the possible impact of the split and what the future strategy should be," news agency ANI quoted AAP sources as saying.
Seven of AAP's Rajya Sabha MPs - Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikram Sahni and Swati Maliwal - have quit the party to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). AAP has termed it as "betrayal of Punjab", accusing the BJP of fracturing a split using central agencies.
The party is now mulling action against the seven leaders and is considering sending a letter through ND Gupta to Rajya Sabha Chairperson CP Radhakrishnan, seeking action against Chadha, Mittal and Pathak under anti-defection law. Gupta is AAP's chief whip in the Upper House.
"Gupta's letter will seek action as per the anti-defection law. These 3 leaders were seen in public joining the BJP. Rest four were not seen in the public domain, making that move. Hence, the chief whip will lodge the complaint against the three MPs seen in the BJP office," AAP sources told ANI.
The development has will boost the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Upper House, as it has brought AAP's strength in the Rajya Sabha from 10 to just three. The timing is also critical as the AAP is currently preparing for next year's assembly elections in Punjab, Goa and Gujarat, with hopes to expand its base outside Delhi.
All the leaders, particularly Chadha and Pathak, had played a crucial role in helping AAP expand its base in Punjab, but their departure is likely to create a huge vacuum for Kejriwal's party. This situation is now likely to determine whether AAP can sustain its expansion ambitions or be forced to consolidate around its existing strongholds.