AAP hit by surgical strike: Raghav Chadha leads mass exodus of Rajya Sabha MPs

Raghav Chadha announced at the Constitution Club on Friday that two-thirds of AAP's Rajya Sabha MPs were quitting to merge with the BJP. The surprise move made the political spotlight, dominated by West Bengal due to assembly elections, to shift to Delhi.

Friday was a quiet afternoon in Delhi, with the political spotlight firmly on West Bengal due to the assembly elections. Most of the reporters in our political team are currently in the poll-bound state. I had just wrapped up a story on the HAL Tejas Mk1A fighter jets awaited by the Indian Air Force when the desk called, directing me to rush to the Constitutional Club of India for an important press conference.

On reaching the venue, it was clear I wasn't the only one who was confused. Fellow reporters were equally unsure about the agenda or the identity of the speaker. BJP members who were present oversaw arrangements and directed media personnel to the designated hall, but offered no clarity on what was to follow. Everyone asked each other in the hope of getting an idea but to no avail.

The press conference was scheduled for 3:00 pm, yet there was no official word on the subject. As is routine, cameras were set up well in advance, despite the uncertainty. Behind the stage, a screen displayed a looping video of the Tricolour, prompting speculation about whether the briefing might be about national security or the Armed Forces, possibly featuring a former Army officer.

Soon, we learnt that Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak would be present at the press conference. However, it did little to clarify the situation. We were still wondering whether they would address the media at the same venue or hold a separate briefing in one of the many halls at the Constitutional Club of India.

Until then, there had been no apparent link between Chadha and the BJP. In fact, I even considered if one of our teams should scan other halls and find the venue of Chadha's press briefing and set up equipment there.

Exactly eight minutes later, at 3:30 pm, the uncertainty ended. Raghav Chadha walked into the hall along with two other MPs and took position on the stage, settling behind the microphones. The development immediately brought clarity to the address, but what followed exceeded expectations.

Raghav Chadha began his speech by narrating how he was involved with the AAP as its founding member and said he had come to believe that "he was the right man in the wrong party". He then announced that two-thirds of the party’s Rajya Sabha MPs would be quitting to merge with the BJP.

The announcement marked a major development. Within minutes of the conclusion of the press conference, we, along with other reporters, went live on television. The news cycle, which had been dominated by West Bengal, swiftly shifted to Delhi.

As Raghav Chadha exited the venue, reporters rushed to gather additional reactions. However, he, along with Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal, left the Constitutional Club of India without stopping to speak further.

Then, I went straight to the BJP headquarters to follow up on the developments from them. By then, we had learnt that Chadha would be meeting BJP National President Nitin Nabin at the party's headquarters.

Live coverage of the big news continued through the afternoon with rolling analysis and updates. Around 5 pm, Nitin Nabin, along with senior leaders such as Tarun Chugh, arrived at the BJP headquarters to receive the incoming MPs. About 30 minutes later, Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal arrived there. They were received by BJP leaders at the portico and escorted directly to Nitin Nabin's room. Soon after, visuals emerged of the MPs being welcomed with saffron patkas, signalling their formal induction.

I expected a separate press conference by the BJP, and a byte on the same was initially planned. However, after many deliberations, the byte idea was set aside. The meeting between Nabin and the MPs continued for over an hour, following which Chadha and the other MPs left the BJP headquarters.

For me, it was an unusually eventful day – one that is far from my regular defence beat. If I could draw a parallel from my subject, the development felt similar to a surgical strike by the BJP on the AAP.

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